Overview

• Hanoi and North Korean state media confirmed To Lam will make a three-day state visit to Pyongyang from Oct. 9 to 11.
• The trip follows an invitation from Kim Jong Un and is expected to coincide with the Oct. 10 military parade marking the Workers’ Party’s 80th anniversary.
• It will be the first visit to North Korea by a Vietnamese leader since 2007, when party chief Nong Duc Manh traveled to Pyongyang.
• Vietnam’s defence minister Phan Van Giang is expected to join the delegation, according to a Vietnamese official.
• KCNA said Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev will also visit North Korea this week to attend the anniversary event.