Vietnam unveiled a plaque paying tribute to North Korean soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War on Friday, ahead of the planned installation of the first memorial sculptures commemorating the DPRK’s support for Hanoi in the conflict.

In a ceremony held at Hanoi’s Vietnam Military History Museum, North Korean Vice Defense Minister Ryo Chol Ung and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Truong Thang jointly unveiled the plaque, North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Monday. 

The plaque, engraved with the words “Vietnam-DPRK Friendship and Solidarity,” and an accompanying explanation that hails the two countries’ friendship since Pyongyang established diplomatic