Scottish separatists have received support from an unlikely source ahead of a Sept. 18 independence vote: North Korea.

They can thank the North Koreans' love of scotch for the backing, an editor of a North Korean newspaper told the Telegraph U.K.

"I think that independence would be a very positive thing for Scotland," Choe Kwan-il, managing editor of the Choson Sinbo newspaper, told The Telegraph.

The Tokyo-based newspaper is a mouthpiece of Pyongyang for hundreds of thousands of expatriate North Koreans.

Choe said Scottish independence could open new trade opportunities between the two countries.

"North Korea is rich in natural resources and we like the taste of Scotch whisky, so we can be beneficial to each other."

But he said an independent Scotland shouldn't expect a North Korean Embassy in Edinburgh. His country doesn't likely have the money for that.