SEOUL: North Korea rolled out the red carpet for the Russian defence minister, state media said on Wednesday, with delegations from Moscow and Beijing set to attend Korean War anniversary events, the country's first-known foreign visitors since its pandemic border closure.
Pyongyang is on Thursday marking the 70th anniversary of the signing of the July 27, 1953 Korean War armistice, which ended open hostilities and is celebrated as Victory Day in the North.
The Russian national anthem blared throughout Pyongyang International Airport, which was "wrapped up in a warm welcome atmosphere" to greet Moscow's Sergei Shoigu and his delegation on Tuesday evening, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said.
Shoigu was greeted by North Korean Defence Minister Kang Sun Nam, and photos carried by the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper showed hundreds of uniformed soldiers of the Korean People's Army lining the airport holding signs welcoming the Russians.
Shoigu laid flowers in front of giant bronze statues of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, video shared by the Russian defence ministry showed.
"For Russia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is an important partner, with which we share a common border and a rich history of cooperation," Shoigu said according to a ministry statement, which added that the meeting would "contribute to strengthening cooperation between our ministries of defence".
Russia, a historic ally of North Korea, is one of a handful of nations with which Pyongyang maintains friendly relations.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been steadfast in his support for Moscow's attack of Ukraine, including, Washington says, supplying rockets and missiles.
The fact that Russia's defence minister flew to Pyongyang while his country is at war was "very significant", said Park Won-gon, director of Ewha University's Institute of Unification Studies.
"Even though the emergency quarantine system remains in place, Kim Jong Un may have felt the need to show something to his people at the Victory Day celebrations," he said.
Satellite imagery indicates North Korea has been preparing for the kind of large-scale military parade with which it typically fetes such anniversaries.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that there were "clear signs" of preparations for a midnight parade at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang in recent days, citing multiple unnamed government sources.
The inclusion of foreign guests at this year's celebrations is a post-pandemic first and hints at new flexibility towards enforcing border controls. — AFP
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