North Korea will hold a gathering of war veterans amid the COVID-19 pandemic in what will be the second consecutive year of hosting the event. 

The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) said Monday that the Seventh National Conference of War Veterans will be held in Pyongyang for the 68th anniversary of “the victory in the great Fatherland Liberation War," referring to the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement that ended combat in the Korean War.  

The report did not reveal the actual date, but considering past practices, Pyongyang is likely to hold the gathering before Tuesday when the North will mark the anniversary of the armistice.  

In last year’s conference, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made an appearance and declared a strong intent to bolster the North’s defense capacity by saying its nuclear deterrence will permanently guarantee national security. 

Veterans who will take part in the conference arrived in Pyongyang on Sunday, according to the KCNA.  

The North apparently is holding the event amid active quarantine efforts in a bid to solidify regime solidarity. Attention is on what kind of message North Korea will convey amid stalled dialogue with the U.S.