Cornell, Erik

Carl Johan Erik Cornell (2 October 1930 – 6 November 2024), was a Swedish diplomat. Cornell began his career as an attaché at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1958. He held various international postings, including Bonn, Geneva, Warsaw, Addis Ababa, and Rome, before becoming Sweden's chargé d'affaires in Pyongyang in 1975, making him the first Western diplomat stationed in North Korea. His later career included ambassadorships in West Africa and Turkey, as well as a role coordinating African trade and development. After retiring, he was active in the Swedish Order of Freemasons and wrote several historical and philosophical books.