Pyongyang: North Korea has officially announced leader Kim Jong-un's plan to attend China's upcoming large-scale military parade, a declaration made domestically on Friday, just a day after the news was shared on the international stage.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's most widely read newspaper, published the news in its Friday edition. It stated that Kim Jong-un will soon travel to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping to attend the military parade. This event marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The announcement was also disseminated through the Korean Central Broadcasting Station's radio service on Friday morning.
On the previous day, North Korea had initially disclosed this information through the Korean Central News Agency, the regime's official wire service, which is typically inaccessible to the general public within North Korea. The military parade is scheduled to take place next Wednesday at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, commemorating the end of World War II in 1945, a victory China observes against Japan.
Kim Jong-un will join a significant international gathering, appearing alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This marks Kim's first foray into multilateral diplomacy, as leaders from 26 foreign countries are expected to attend the event. Since assuming power in 2011, Kim has not previously attended any multilateral gatherings.
This rare overseas visit by Kim comes amid efforts by North Korea and China to restore their bilateral ties, which have been strained due to Pyongyang's close association with Russia, particularly following North Korea's deployment of troops to support Moscow's war efforts in Ukraine. This upcoming trip will be Kim's fifth visit to China, following three visits in 2018 and the most recent in 2019.