North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will attend China’s Victory Day ceremony with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, signaling deeper ties with Beijing and Moscow amid shifting regional diplomacy.
Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin will attend China’s Victory Day celebrations in Beijing on September 3, marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan.
During their first summit, South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung urged Donald Trump to act as peacemaker on North Korea, while both leaders advanced trade and defense cooperation.
Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch of new surface-to-air missiles on August 23, a move seen as a counter to allied drills and summits ahead of the Korea-U.S. meeting.
Kim Jong-un has awarded national commendations to North Korean commanders returning from Russia, highlighting their role in the Kursk operation and reinforcing the deployment’s legitimacy.
Kim Yo-jong called South Korean President Lee Jae Myung a “powerless dreamer” and rejected Seoul as a diplomatic counterpart, underscoring North Korea’s hardening stance.
Kim Jong-un condemned the South Korea-U.S. military drills as a clear signal of a “will to ignite war,” vowing stronger military action and expanded naval power.
On Liberation Day, Kim Jong-un avoided mention of U.S. ties and instead underscored the growing DPRK-Russia friendship, hosting a senior Russian delegation in Pyongyang.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a rare, publicly acknowledged phone call ahead of the U.S.-Russia summit, signaling close coordination on Ukraine and broader strategic issues.
