N. Korea revs up festive mood ahead of Victory Day
2024-05-28 22:32:23
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| North Korean residents attend an event commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, which the North celebrates as Victory Day, in this July 21 photo carried by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap |
North Korea said Tuesday it has invited a Russian military delegation for a ceremony to mark the 70th anniversary of the armistice of the 1950-53 Korean War this week in a rare invitation of foreign guests since the COVID-19 outbreak.
The announcement came a day after North Korea said a Chinese delegation will make a "congratulatory" visit on the occasion of the anniversary that falls on Thursday, celebrated as Victory Day in the North.
The Russian delegation led by Moscow's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will visit the country in a move that will further develop their ties in "keeping with the demand of the times," according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The KCNA reported the previous day that a Chinese delegation led by Li Hongzhong, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, will visit the North to celebrate the anniversary.
The planned visits by the Chinese and Russian delegations mark rare cases of the secretive regime inviting foreign guests to the country since imposing rigid border lockdowns to protect against the pandemic.
Despite the partial resumption of cargo transportation between North Korea and China last year, Pyongyang has maintained strict control of people-to-people exchange across borders.
Prior to the Chinese delegation's invitation, the North had only allowed the entry of Ambassador Wang Yajun, Beijing's top envoy to Pyongyang, in March. Wang was appointed to the post in February 2021, but his arrival had been delayed due to the North's tight border control.
The visits also come as the North appears to have lifted its mask mandate this month.
An official at Seoul's unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, cautiously projected that the reclusive regime may be preparing to reopen its border after more than three years of lockdown.
"While it's too early to assess whether North Korea is fully reopening its border, there has been an overall easing of antivirus measures and signs of preparations to participate in an international sporting event," the official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
North Korea is set to take part in this year's Asian Games, scheduled to kick off in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, in late September.
The official said that the reopening of the North's border appears to be a matter of time, but stopped short of offering a clear time frame of when it might occur.
Observers speculate the North may utilize this year's celebrations, including a military parade, as a means to solidify domestic unity following a failed satellite launch in late May and continuing economic hardships.
Earlier in the day, the KCNA reported that celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of Victory Day will be held as a "grand political festival to be specially recorded in the history of the country." (Yonhap)
（作者：新闻中心）
