The North Korean Labor Party's organ, Rodong Sinmun, prominently covered the news of Kim Jong Un's attendance at the 80th anniversary parade of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan on the 4th, featuring it on pages 1 to 3 of its six-page edition.
Page 1 featured a prominent scene of Kim standing alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Tiananmen tower. It's been 66 years since the leaders of North Korea, China, and Russia gathered in one place after the meeting of Kim Il Sung, Mao Zedong, and Nikita Khrushchev in 1959, showcasing a 'centered anti-Western alliance' with China and emphasizing that North Korea is also a major player in the international community.
Following that, page 1 conveyed signals of recovery in North Korea-China relations with a photo of Kim joyfully shaking hands with President Xi and greeting Xi's wife, Peng Liyuan.
Page 2 was filled solely with photos, centering on Kim interacting with about 20 heads of state on the red carpet before ascending the tower. It actively promoted that his multilateral diplomatic debut was successful.
Page 3 included scenes from a reception hosted by President Xi following the parade and the North Korea-Russia summit. A photo was also released showing Kim in the backseat of President Putin's official limousine, 'Aurus,' exchanging pleasantries inside the vehicle.
The tender hug and smiling demeanor between the two leaders were also featured, emphasizing the evolving 'blood alliance' between North Korea and Russia. The representative from our side, National Assembly Chairperson Woo Won-sik, appeared only as part of the group photo, and there were no separate mentions.
North Korean authorities promoted the supreme leader's multilateral diplomacy debut through the newspaper and state-run radio.