Moscow: Russia announced that North Korea will be represented at the ambassador level at the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow this week, with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un remaining in his country.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Yuri Ushakov, the foreign policy adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, stated that North Korea's ambassador will attend the four-day celebrations commemorating the Soviet Union's victory over Germany in World War II, which are set to begin on Thursday.
The annual military parade, a central event of the celebrations, is scheduled to take place on Friday in Moscow's Red Square. Ushakov confirmed that North Korean troops, who were reported in April to have fought for Russia in the conflict against Ukraine, will not participate in the parade.
Last week, South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) speculated that Kim Jong-un would not travel to Russia for the Victory Day events. The NIS noted the absence of security preparations typically associated with a visit from the North Korean leader.
The NIS also suggested that other North Korean officials, such as Choe Ryong-hae, chairman of the North's parliamentary standing committee, could potentially visit Moscow for the occasion. Earlier in March, Kim Jong-un had received a medal from the Russian government commemorating the 80th anniversary of Victory Day.