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N. Korea's Kim arrives at Tiananmen Square for military parade alongside Putin, Xi

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By Yonhap
  • Published Sep 3, 2025 9:36 am KST
  • Updated Sep 3, 2025 10:05 am KST
A screen shows Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrive for a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, in Beijing, China, Wednesday. Reuters-Yonhap

A screen shows Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrive for a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, in Beijing, China, Wednesday. Reuters-Yonhap

BEIJING/SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived at the venue for a military parade in Beijing, where he is set to stand shoulder to shoulder with Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping in a display of trilateral cooperation against the West.

Wearing a black suit and a gold tie, Kim slowly walked into Tiananmen Square's red-carpeted main entrance ahead of the event.

Xi subsequently welcomed him into the square, shaking hands with him alongside other state leaders arriving at the venue, including Putin, before moving toward the rostrum.

Putin walked on Xi's right while Kim walked on his left, occasionally talking to him with smiles.

The military parade was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. (local time) at Tiananmen Square, marking the 80th anniversary of what China celebrates as its victory over Japan and the end of World War II, and featuring displays of its latest weaponry and marching troops.