Pyongyang: A delegation from Russia's parliament, led by lower house chairman Vyacheslav Volodin, will visit North Korea this week to celebrate the country's 80th anniversary of national independence, North Korean state media reported Tuesday. The visit is set to take place from Thursday to Friday at the invitation of the North's Supreme People's Assembly.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the delegation from the State Duma will be making a "congratulatory visit" on the occasion of the anniversary. This milestone marks 80 years since both South and North Korea were liberated from 35 years of Japanese colonial rule, which lasted from 1910 to 1945. The Korean Peninsula was subsequently divided into South and North Korea following the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.
Vyacheslav Volodin, noted for his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, may have the opportunity to meet with North Korean state leader Kim Jong-un during the visit. In 2015, during the 70th anniversary of this significant historical event, delegations from Russia's upper chamber and defense ministry participated in similar celebrations in North Korea.