After three years of isolation due to the pandemic, North Korea once again invited its friends: Russia and China, who come to the country with important delegations to participate in the commemorative events of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice (1950- 1953), in which China took part. A celebration that also wants to emphasize his fight against the United States and its allies.
A Russian military delegation led by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has already arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday to attend the celebrations, authorities in Moscow said, while a Chinese delegation led by Politburo member Li Hongzhong also has scheduled to arrive in the afternoon. Both will attend one of the most characteristic events of North Korea: the massive military parade that serves as a showcase to the world for its latest weaponry.
Analysts say the show will likely include the North’s nuclear-tipped missiles banned by the United Nations Security Council, where Russia and China are permanent members.
The visits are the first known foreign delegations to visit North Korea since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Pyongyang hopes to deepen its ties with Beijing and Moscow, with whom it shares rivalries with Washington and the West.
North Korea celebrates a holiday on Thursday in what it views as a victory over US-led allied forces in the 1950-1953 Korean War. The occasion provides an opportunity for Pyongyang to highlight the Cold War days when North Korean troops fought with the support of China and Russia. North Korea is still technically at war with the US-led alliance after the fighting ended in an armistice, rather than a formal peace treaty.
The anniversary comes at a time of renewed tensions on the peninsula marked by North Korean missile tests (four in the last month, including the launch of its most sophisticated intercontinental ballistic missile) and the temporary deployment of US submarines to South Korea, including one with the ability to launch nuclear strikes.
The United States accused North Korea of ??supplying Russia with weapons during the war in Ukraine, including a delivery of infantry rocket and missile weapons to the Kremlin-backed Wagner mercenary group in November 2022. Pyongyang and Moscow have denied those claims, but Kim vowed to strengthen strategic cooperation between the two.
“North Korea’s invitation to delegations from both countries appears to be a case of story rhyme, in which Pyongyang is preparing to take on the West, but perceives the need to maintain relatively balanced ties with both China and Russia,” he said. Anthony Rinna, a Korea-Russia relations specialist at Sino-NK, a web portal that analyzes the region.
Only time will tell if the visits signal a broader relaxation of North Korea’s international travel bans, which could theoretically present an opportunity for US officials to negotiate the release of US soldier Travis King, who entered of his own free will. to North Korea last week, Rinna recalled. The UN Command (which includes the United States and guards the dividing line between the two Koreas, through which the soldier entered) assures that he has managed to establish contact with the North Korean authorities, without giving further details.
However, it seems unlikely that Pyongyang will attempt to engage with Washington anytime soon, and can be seen as being in a new full-scale Cold War with the United States, he added.