 During the 1967–2005 rule of General Gnassingbé Eyadéma, father of current President Faure Gnassingbé, Togo maintained close relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, despite the Togolese government's pro-Western and right-wing stances.In 1974, Eyadéma visited Pyongyang, meeting with Kim Il-sung.On 17 September 1974, he broke off relations with South Korea, and expelled the South Korean embassy staff from Togo.