South Korea called on North Korea Friday to follow Cuba's footsteps in improving ties with the U.S. and other nations.
   
The U.S. and Cuba announced their decision earlier this week to end five decades of Cold War hostility and revive diplomatic ties.

It has effectively made North Korea the only diplomatically-isolated nation on the planet. 
    
"With this latest decision, (we) expect acceleration of Cuba's fence-mending with the international community and hope that North Korea would actively join the trend of change in the international community too through the right choices," Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement.  
   
The South "welcomes the decision between the U.S. and Cuba to push for normalized relations," it added. "Our government expects and supports the leaders of the two countries' efforts to end 50-years of conflict and isolation and open the door for a new era of cooperation."
   
The U.S.-Cuba rapprochement raised hopes for the possibility of Washington seeking a similar engagement mode with Pyongyang.
   
Responding to such speculations, however, the White House said Thursday North Korea is different from the Cuban case due to its nuclear weapons program.
   
North Korea kept mum on the surprise move by the U.S. and Cuba. (Yonhap)