North Korea’s Kim to Attend Beijing Military Parade
North Korean leader to attend Beijing’s V-Day parade.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will make a rare international appearance next week at a military parade in Beijing, marking the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end on September 3, Chinese and North Korean state media confirmed Thursday. The announcement, reported by China’s Xinhua News Agency and North Korea’s state news agency, highlights Kim’s first visit to China since 2019, invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping to join 26 foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, for the V-Day commemorations.
The parade underscores China’s historical narrative of its role in defeating Japan, with no major Western leaders expected due to tensions over Russia’s war in Ukraine. China, North Korea’s largest trading partner, accounted for 97% of its external trade in 2023, though North Korea has recently deepened ties with Russia, supplying troops and ammunition for the Ukraine conflict. Observers suggest Kim’s visit signals efforts to bolster China-North Korea relations amid these shifting alliances.
Details of Kim’s travel itinerary, including his departure from North Korea and duration of stay, remain undisclosed. The trip follows North Korea’s rejection of renewed diplomacy with the United States, despite calls from U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for talks. Trump, during a recent meeting with Lee in Washington, reminisced about his past summits with Kim, including a notable 2019 meeting at the Korean Demilitarized Zone, saying, “I loved it. Everyone went crazy when I walked across the line.”
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Kim’s presence at the Beijing parade, a high-profile diplomatic event, underscores the complex geopolitical dynamics as North Korea balances its alliances with China and Russia while navigating stalled talks with the West.
