South Korea says it has established diplomatic relations with Cuba, which has long been a friend of North Korea.

The South Korean foreign ministry says the country's mission to the United Nations in New York reached the agreement with representatives from Cuba on Wednesday.

Their bilateral exchanges stopped following the 1959 Cuban Revolution. In 2016, the South Korean foreign minister at that time visited Cuba and expressed a desire to form diplomatic ties.

In June last year, after South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol took office, his government offered humanitarian aid worth around 300,000 dollars to Cuba, which suffered severe damage from heavy rain.

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reports that the two countries negotiated for diplomatic ties behind the scenes, taking into consideration that North Korea might oppose the move and attempt to block it.

The South Korean foreign ministry says both sides will discuss opening diplomatic offices, and that Seoul will develop foundations for expanding economic cooperation and helping firms start business in Cuba.