Anchor: Chinese authorities have announced that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will join a celebration in Beijing next week to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. With Kim at the event, to be hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping and attended by the leaders of Russia, Iran and Pakistan, among others, observers are paying attention to a possible encounter between the South Korean delegation and the North Korean leader. 
Kim Bum-soo has more.   

Report: For the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II next Wednesday, China will once again showcase its weapon systems at a massive military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. 

Beijing on Thursday revealed the list of 26 foreign heads of state and high-level delegates who will watch the military procession with Chinese President Xi Jinping, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.

[Sound bite: Hong Lei – Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of China (Chinese-English)]
“China and the DPRK (North Korea) are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers. We warmly welcome General Secretary Kim Jong-un to China to attend the commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the ‘Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression’ and the ‘World Anti-Fascist War.’”

With the leaders of Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Indonesia and Vietnam also attending, to name a few, bilateral talks are expected on the sidelines of the Victory Day event.

Kim has visited China and Russia for bilateral talks, but next week’s event will be his first international gathering in the presence of multiple foreign leaders. 

With Putin and Kim both joining the event, all eyes are on the optics and political message Xi will seek to communicate in the face of tighter collaboration among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan.

Seoul is sending National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik as its representative, sparking speculation about what interaction, if any, to expect between Kim and the South Korean delegation.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.