SEOUL, Sept 1 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to depart for China on Monday aboard his special armoured train to attend a military parade in Beijing, in what will be his first appearance on the multilateral diplomatic stage.
A possible three-way meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping is also being closely watched, Yonhap news agency reported.
Kim and Putin will join state leaders from 26 foreign countries at Wednesday’s parade, marking Kim’s first multilateral diplomatic engagement since taking power in late 2011.
Kim’s participation is seen as an effort to restore traditionally close ties with Beijing, which were strained by Pyongyang’s recent alignment with Moscow.
The last time a North Korean leader attended a Chinese military parade was in 1959, when Kim Il Sung, the country’s founder and the current leader’s grandfather, took part.
Kim’s attendance follows last week’s Washington summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump, where both expressed willingness to resume diplomacy with Pyongyang.
China is scheduled to hold a 70-minute military parade on Wednesday at Tiananmen Square to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, commemorated as victory over Japan.
The event will showcase the country’s latest weaponry and marching troops.
-- BERNAMA-YONHAP
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