North Korean Leader Set to Join Beijing WWII Parade

(MENAFN) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will participate in a high-profile military parade in Beijing next week, marking his first-ever appearance at a multilateral diplomatic event since assuming power in 2011.

Both Beijing and Pyongyang made near-simultaneous announcements on Thursday confirming Kim’s presence at the Sept. 3 parade, which commemorates the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The large-scale ceremony will take place at Tiananmen Square, highlighting China’s wartime victory, officially known as the “War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression” from 1937 to 1945—a conflict the Chinese government views as part of the global “World Anti-Fascist War.”

The event is expected to draw around 26 heads of state, including leaders from Russia, Indonesia, Pakistan, and India. Among Western nations, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico will be the sole top elected official in attendance. Senior representatives from international bodies such as the United Nations are also slated to join.

Kim’s participation marks a turning point in his foreign diplomacy. Despite ruling North Korea for 14 years, the 41-year-old leader has never attended a United Nations General Assembly or any major international summit. The upcoming parade provides a rare opportunity for him to engage directly with other world leaders on neutral ground.

Kim’s last overseas trip was in 2023 to Russia, where he held a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders have met twice, including a summit in Pyongyang. Prior to that, Kim made historic visits to Vietnam and Singapore for talks with then-U.S. President Donald Trump, followed by a third encounter at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the Korean Peninsula. Diplomatic efforts to revive those stalled talks have continued in recent years.

Kim’s appearance in Beijing will signal a rare step onto the global stage for the isolated North Korean regime.

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