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13h ago

Kim Marks Workers’ Party 80th With Foreign Delegations as China’s Li Qiang Makes Rare Visit

Li’s trip yielded vows to deepen strategic dialogue, with state media offering no confirmation of a widely expected parade.

Artists perform during an event marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), in Pyongyang, North Korea October 9, 2025. Sputnik/Yekaterina Shtukina/Pool via REUTERS
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam and Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council and leader of the United Russia political party Dmitry Medvedev attend an event marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), in Pyongyang, North Korea October 9, 2025. Sputnik/Yekaterina Shtukina/Pool via REUTERS
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council and leader of the United Russia political party Dmitry Medvedev and North Korean Workers' Party director for international affairs Kim Song Nam attend a wreath-laying ceremony at the statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il at the Mansu Hill Grand Monument in Pyongyang, North Korea October 9, 2025. Sputnik/Yekaterina Shtukina/Pool via REUTERS
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the Party Founding Museum on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea, in Pyongyang, North Korea, October 8, 2025, in this pictured released October 9, 2025 by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. KCNA via REUTERS

Overview

  • Kim Jong Un delivered a speech at Pyongyang’s May Day Stadium praising the party’s record and calling North Korea a “mighty” nation, according to KCNA.
  • Kim and Chinese Premier Li Qiang said the visit opened a “new chapter” in relations and pledged to expand strategic dialogue and high‑level exchanges, state media reported.
  • Li’s visit marked the first trip to North Korea by a Chinese premier in 16 years, underscoring a public elevation of bilateral ties.
  • Foreign delegations included Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev and Vietnam’s To Lam, with Kim hosting talks that Vietnamese media said aimed to strengthen cooperation.
  • Mass games and large-scale performances were staged for visiting guests, while state outlets did not mention the military parade that observers had anticipated.