North Korea’s state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun on Thursday prominently featured North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s attendance at the 80th anniversary of China’s Victory Day. The event commemorated both the end of World War II and China’s victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The newspaper, which published six pages, dedicated three pages to related photos and articles, showcasing a total of 45 images.
This marks the first time that North Korean citizens have witnessed Kim participating in a multilateral diplomatic event alongside leaders from major powers such as China and Russia. Analysts predict a significant domestic response to Kim’s new diplomatic approach.
Half of the newspaper’s six pages, specifically pages 1 to 3, were devoted to reporting on Kim’s visit to China. The top right corner of the front page featured a photo of Kim standing with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at Tiananmen Gate. Below that, images showed Kim smiling and shaking hands with Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan.
Page 2 included photos of Kim, Xi, and Putin leading a group of over 20 national leaders to the gate, as well as images of the three leaders walking side by side and engaging in conversation.
Page 3 featured Kim attending a Victory Day banquet at Xi’s invitation, alongside President Putin. This page also covers the North Korea–Russia summit that took place after the banquet at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Notably, the newspaper published nine photos highlighting the friendship between Kim and Putin, including one of them riding together in Putin’s luxury limousine, the Aurus, and another showing them embracing warmly after their meeting.
This is the first time in 66 years that a North Korean leader has participated in such a multilateral event and attracted global attention since Kim Il Sung stood alongside Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong and Soviet Communist Party First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev at Tiananmen Gate in 1959. This means that the majority of current North Korean citizens have never personally witnessed their supreme leader engaging in multilateral diplomacy.
Unlike Kim Il Sung, who stood in the fourth position to Mao’s right during a similar event in 1959, Kim Jong Un positioned himself directly to Xi’s left, thereby receiving the highest level of diplomatic protocol. This image is likely to be perceived as a significant development by the North Korean populace.
Professor Lim Eum Chul from the Institute for Far Eastern Studies, Kyungnam University, noted that the impact on North Koreans of the recently published photos in Rodong Sinmun could rival that of the first North Korea–U.S. summits in 2018 and 2019, when the leaders met for negotiations rather than confrontation.
North Korea appears to be emphasizing Kim’s visit and achievements in China to instill a sense of pride and loyalty among its citizens, reinforcing the notion that the country stands among the world’s leading nations.
Additionally, North Korea declared its relationship with South Korea as hostile in December 2023 and has pursued a strategy of complete realignment with Russia, accelerating a new Cold War dynamic that positions South Korea and the U.S. as adversaries. This strategy seems aimed at reinforcing its approach to the North Korean public.
Following its attendance at the Victory Day celebrations, North Korea is likely to gain confidence in securing alliances with cooperative powers, including China and Russia. It seems probable that Kim will expand his direct involvement in summit diplomacy. North Korea may unveil its new diplomatic strategy at the 9th Workers’ Party Congress, scheduled to take place at the end of this year or early next year after a five-year hiatus.
This event could serve as a launching point for Kim to visit countries such as Vietnam, Laos, and Mongolia, all of which participated in the recent parade, thereby showcasing an approach to multilateral diplomacy that has been previously unseen. There are also indications that Kim Yo Jong, the Deputy Director of the Workers’ Party responsible for foreign affairs, may broaden her diplomatic role as Kim Jong Un’s special envoy.
Senior Research Fellow Kim Jin Ha from the Korea Institute for National Unification noted that the end of this year marks a crucial juncture, as North Korea’s five-year economic and defense plan comes to a close and the 9th Party Congress is convened anew. He predicted that North Korea would announce strategies to expand further the new Cold War framework based on its close ties with both China and Russia.
Furthermore, Kim anticipates that North Korea will send a message reinforcing its stance that issues on the Korean Peninsula are no longer a priority, thereby strengthening the narrative of heightened antagonism between North and South Korea.