Once a pariah, Kim Jong Un flaunts powerful friends at China’s military parade



Analysis Once a pariah, Kim Jong Un flaunts powerful friends at China’s military parade North Korean leader used his first multilateral event to align with bloc challenging the US in a polarized world Chad O'Carroll September 3, 2025 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Putin, Xi and Kim walk toward the viewing stand at Wednesday's military parade in Beijing \| Image: Kremlin (Sept. 3, 2025), edited by NK Pro North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s first trip to China in six years to attend a World War II victory parade marked a watershed moment for his regime, setting up the DPRK as part of a nuclear bloc united against the U.S.-led international order. Once a pariah even among his neighbors, Kim stood alongside Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin on the rostrum as Chinese nuclear weapons rolled through Tiananmen Square on Wednesday, a clear sign that he has powerful friends behind him as Donald Trump expresses eagerness to meet. Beyond the diplomatic Read More © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. LATEST ANALYSIS 01Crossing the Yalu: Why China and North Korea want to open long-stalled bridge 02A decade apart, two DMZ mine blasts highlight a new inter-Korean reality 03Chinese authorities seize smuggled goods bound for North Korea: records 04Likely Russian ship docks in North Korea’s Rason port for first time since May 05Trump doesn’t need a grand deal with Kim, but rather small coordinated actions 06North Korean trade with China rises 3.7% in August thanks to wig exports: data 07North Korea tensions expose Seoul’s uneasy relationship with UN Command 08North Korea’s politburo meeting hints at secret changes to senior officials

Analysis

Once a pariah, Kim Jong Un flaunts powerful friends at China’s military parade

North Korean leader used his first multilateral event to align with bloc challenging the US in a polarized world

Chad O'Carroll September 3, 2025

Once a pariah, Kim Jong Un flaunts powerful friends at China’s military parade

Putin, Xi and Kim walk toward the viewing stand at Wednesday's military parade in Beijing | Image: Kremlin (Sept. 3, 2025), edited by NK Pro

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s first trip to China in six years to attend a World War II victory parade marked a watershed moment for his regime, setting up the DPRK as part of a nuclear bloc united against the U.S.-led international order.

Once a pariah even among his neighbors, Kim stood alongside Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin on the rostrum as Chinese nuclear weapons rolled through Tiananmen Square on Wednesday, a clear sign that he has powerful friends behind him as Donald Trump expresses eagerness to meet.

Beyond the diplomatic

01Crossing the Yalu: Why China and North Korea want to open long-stalled bridge
02A decade apart, two DMZ mine blasts highlight a new inter-Korean reality
03Chinese authorities seize smuggled goods bound for North Korea: records
04Likely Russian ship docks in North Korea’s Rason port for first time since May
05Trump doesn’t need a grand deal with Kim, but rather small coordinated actions
06North Korean trade with China rises 3.7% in August thanks to wig exports: data
07North Korea tensions expose Seoul’s uneasy relationship with UN Command
08North Korea’s politburo meeting hints at secret changes to senior officials

Once a pariah, Kim Jong Un flaunts powerful friends at China’s military parade

LATEST ANALYSIS

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Chad O'Carroll