Russia's Defence Minister Joins Chinese Officials As North Korea Welcomes First Visitors Since Pandemic

For the 70th anniversary celebrations of the end of the Korean War, North Korea will showcase its military might in a massive parade in its capital.

North Korea opened its doors to delegations from Russia and China, the country's first visitors since the Covid pandemic, as Pyongyang  gears up to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. A Russian delegation led by defence minister Sergei Shoigu has arrived in North Korea. The Chinese delegation is being led by Chinese Communist Party Politburo member Li Hongzhong, Reuters reported. 

The visits come as North Korea looks to deepen its ties with China and Russia.

The Korean Armistice Agreement, signed on July 27, 1953, suspended the Korean War, which had started three years earlier in June 1950. It ended the combat between armed forces on the Korean Peninsula.

Russia defence minister Shoigu received a red carpet welcome as he landed in Pyongyang and the Russian national anthem blared throughout the airport on Tuesday evening, Reuters reported. 

Shoigu was greeted by his North Korean counterpart at the airport, AFP reported. Visuals showed hundreds of KPA soldiers lining the airport holding signs welcoming the Russians.

"This visit will help strengthen Russian-North Korean military ties and will be an important stage in the development of cooperation between the two countries," the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Russia is among a handful of countries that maintains friendly relations with the secluded North Korea.

For the anniversary celebrations, North Korea will showcase its military might in a massive parade in its capital. The state media said the 70th anniversary of "Victory Day" will be marked in a "grand manner that will go down in history".

The parade will likely include North Korea's nuclear-tipped missiles banned by the United Nations Security Council, where Russia and China are permanent members.

North Korea's decision to welcome Russian and Chinese delegations hints at new flexibility towards enforcing border controls.

The country has been under a strict self-imposed blockade since early 2020 to protect itself from Covid-19. In fact, North Korea has prevented even its own nationals from entering the country.