North Korea Invited China to 'Victory Day Military Parade'... "Border Opening Is a Matter of Time"

Team Leader Li Hongzhong Leads Chinese Delegation to North Korea on 26th
First Group Visit by Outsiders Since Lockdown
"Opening Is a Matter of Time... Too Early to Specify Timing"

North Korea's sudden invitation of a Chinese delegation to the Victory Day event has drawn attention to whether it will open its tightly sealed borders after more than three years since the COVID-19 outbreak. Senior representatives on North Korea's nuclear issue from South Korea, the United States, and Japan condemned North Korea's military provocations during a phone consultation and closely monitored the Victory Day developments.

A Ministry of Unification official told reporters on the 25th, "Since North Korea closed its borders in the first half of 2020, this is only the second time it has officially confirmed the entry of foreign personnel, following the arrival of Wang Yajun, the new Chinese ambassador to North Korea, in March this year." The official explained, "There was a case of a Chinese delegation visiting North Korea for an internal political event during the 9.9 Day in September 2018, when Li Zhanshu, the Standing Committee Chairman, visited North Korea."

The Chinese Five-star Red Flag and the North Korean National Flag displayed on a street in Pyongyang [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Earlier, North Korean authorities announced through the Korean Central News Agency that they had invited a Chinese delegation. The Chinese party and government delegation, led by Li Hongzhong, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, is scheduled to visit North Korea on the 26th. The Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress is equivalent to our 'Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.' This delegation is expected to attend the military parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of Victory Day (North Korea's term for the Armistice Agreement signing day) on the 27th. A meeting between Kim Jong Un and the Chinese delegation is also anticipated.

This is the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that foreign personnel have visited North Korea as a group. North Korea closed its borders in early 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19 and only lifted the 'mask mandate' this month. Although it has gradually resumed trade with China since last winter, human exchanges have been strictly controlled. Instead of sending personnel to international events in Pyongyang, North Korea has had its overseas staff attend on its behalf.

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There are also views that the visit of the Chinese delegation could be a 'signal of opening' for the border. Jo Han-bum, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said, "North Koreans abroad have still been unable to return, and the blockade measures seem to have reached their limits in many ways," adding, "There is a possibility that Koryo Air operations and North Korea-China train services could resume following this invitation of the Chinese delegation."

There is also speculation that the visit may be limited to resuming high-level exchanges. Kim Yong-hyun, director of the North Korea Studies Institute at Dongguk University, said, "There is an aspect of showcasing that North Korea-China relations are developing very amicably even amid the COVID-19 situation," adding, "It remains to be seen whether North Korea will selectively lift the blockade according to its needs and interests or start a full opening."

Even aside from whether the 'border will open,' the announcement of the resumption of high-level exchanges with China on the occasion of Victory Day is also a noteworthy point. Since the parade is expected to feature a large number of North Korea's strategic weapons, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), it could be used as an opportunity to symbolically demonstrate China's 'tolerance' or 'condonation' of North Korea's nuclear development.

A Ministry of Unification official said, "There have been overall relaxations in quarantine measures, such as lifting the mask mandate, and given North Korea's preparations to participate in international events, border opening seems to be a matter of time," adding, "However, it is still premature to judge whether the border will be opened based on this event. We will not speculate on the timing of opening at this stage."

South Korea, U.S., and Japan Monitor North Korea's Developments... "China Must Play a Constructive Role"

Senior Representatives for North Korea Nuclear Issues from Korea, the United States, and Japan. From the left, Takehiro Funakoshi, Japan's Senior Representative for North Korea Nuclear Issues; Kim Gun, Director General for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Sung Kim, U.S. Special Representative for North Korea.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the same day, the senior representatives on North Korea's nuclear issue from South Korea, the United States, and Japan held a trilateral phone consultation to discuss North Korea's Victory Day developments, including the visit of the Chinese delegation. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kim Geon, South Korea's Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, exchanged views with Sung Kim, the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, and Takehiro Funakoshi, Japan's senior representative on North Korea's nuclear issue, regarding North Korea's Victory Day event and the response to the short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) provocation that occurred the previous day.

They also pointed out that the provocation, which North Korea carried out during a 'vulnerable time' late at night, constitutes a serious violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and condemned North Korea's behavior that threatens world peace. In particular, since South Korea, the U.S., and Japan have long urged China to play a constructive role in North Korea's denuclearization and restraint from provocations, it is reported that they exchanged assessments regarding the Chinese delegation's visit during this consultation as well.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.