Kim Jong-un's fifth visit to China in six years, attended by high-ranking foreign officials, including National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik.

The US-South Korea-Japan vs. North Korea-China-Russia structure… There is also the prospect that China will promote North Korea-US dialogue.

(Beijing/Seoul=Yonhap News) Correspondent Jeong Seong-jo, Reporter Kim Ji-heon = China announced on the 28th that North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un will attend the military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of China's victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, which will be held in Beijing, China on September 3rd.

At a briefing on the preparations for the"80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War (80th Anniversary of Victory Day)" held that day, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Hong Lei announced the list of attendees, including Chairman Kim Jong Un, saying,"At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, 26 foreign heads of state and government will attend the commemorative activities."

Our government stated that it was aware of Chairman Kim's plans to visit China in advance.

Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik said on the same day,"I was aware of (Chairman Kim's plan to visit China) through relevant agencies, and I was also informed this morning that it would be announced today."

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official also stated,"We have been communicating with China regarding the attendance at the Chinese Victory Day event, and we were aware of the above fact through information from relevant organizations."

The Chinese side reportedly informed the South Korean side of Chairman Kim's plan to visit China through diplomatic channels.

Hong said,"China and North Korea are friendly neighbors with mountains and rivers connected by them," and "we warmly welcome General Secretary Kim Jong Un's visit to China to attend activities commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War."

The World Anti-Fascist War refers to World War II.

He said,"During the difficult and adversarial wartime, the peoples of China and North Korea supported each other and jointly fought against Japanese aggression, making important contributions to the victory of the world anti-fascist war and the cause of justice for mankind." He added,"It is the firm position of the Chinese party and government to safeguard, consolidate, and develop the traditional friendship between China and North Korea."

Hong, the vice minister of state, emphasized,"China is willing to continue to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with North Korea and promote socialist construction," and "We will join hands and move forward on this path, closely cooperating in the work of promoting regional peace and stability and upholding international fairness and justice, and write a new chapter in the traditional friendship between China and North Korea."

On this day, North Korea's Korean Central News Agency also announced that Chairman Kim would soon visit China to attend the 80th anniversary of the Chinese Victory Day event at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, around the same time as the announcement of the Chinese participants.

According to the Chinese side, the leaders of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Belarus, and Iran have agreed to attend the event.

This is the first time since the end of the Cold War that the leaders of North Korea, China, and Russia are meeting in one place, and there are predictions that the 'South Korea-US-Japan vs. North Korea-China-Russia' structure will be strengthened again following the South Korean president's visit to Japan and the United States.

On the other hand, some analysts say that Chairman Kim's visit to China could actually serve as an opportunity to promote North Korea-US dialogue, as China serves as a channel to encourage North Korea to return to dialogue.

A South Korean Foreign Ministry official said,"We hope that North Korea-China relations will develop in a way that contributes to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and peace and stability," adding,"We are open to dialogue and cooperation between the South and the North."

South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik and figures from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and other countries were also included in the list of attendees at the Chinese Victory Day event.

Chairman Kim visited China four times in total, three times in 2018 and once in 2019 during the first term of Donald Trump, when inter-Korean and North Korea-US dialogue was taking place.

Last year, as North Korea and China celebrated the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, there were assessments that their relationship had become estranged due to the lack of official exchanges amid growing ties between North Korea and Russia. However, exchanges began again early this year, ultimately leading to Chairman Kim's fifth visit to China in six years.

Chairman Kim's attendance at China's Victory Day celebrations this year also marks his debut on the multilateral diplomatic stage.