On October 10, 2025, Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square pulsed with orchestrated spectacle. Soldiers goose-stepped in perfect formation, tanks rumbled past, and the city’s skyline flashed with the thunder of fireworks. The occasion? North Korea’s 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party—a milestone that leader Kim Jong Un seized to showcase not just his country’s military might, but also its evolving place in a world reshaped by conflict and shifting alliances.
According to Deutsche Welle (DW), the parade was more than just a display of patriotism and power. It was a statement of resilience and ambition. Kim Jong Un, standing atop the reviewing stand, praised North Korea’s endurance in the face of what he called a “US-led military threat” and vowed to transform the country into “the best socialist paradise in the world.” His words echoed across the square as some of the country’s newest and most advanced weaponry—clearly aimed at the United States and its allies—rolled by in a show of defiance.
Yet, what truly set this anniversary apart was the guest list. As DW and Lianhe Zaobao reported, high-level officials from China, Russia, Vietnam, and Laos gathered in Pyongyang, signaling a rare moment of multilateral diplomatic engagement for the isolated regime. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith all stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Kim, lending gravitas to the occasion. For Li Qiang, it was a particularly notable visit—the first by a Chinese premier to North Korea in 16 years.
While China and Russia have long been North Korea’s chief backers, the presence of Vietnam and Laos’ top leaders marked a subtle but significant diplomatic pivot. As Lianhe Zaobao observed, “Vietnam is also well-positioned to act as a bridge between ASEAN and North Korea.” This new outreach reflects Pyongyang’s efforts to expand its diplomatic space, breaking out of the isolation that years of nuclear brinkmanship and international sanctions have brought.
But how did North Korea arrive at this moment of renewed confidence and international attention? DW points to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine as a crucial catalyst. The conflict has upended global alliances and, paradoxically, opened new opportunities for Pyongyang. With Russia increasingly dependent on unconventional partners, North Korea has found itself in a position to extract concessions—fuel and food shipments from Moscow, for instance—that have helped ease the sting of United Nations Security Council sanctions imposed for its nuclear and missile tests.
China, too, appears to be relaxing its enforcement of sanctions, according to DW’s analysis. The broader economic confrontation between the US and China has made North Korea a more valuable partner in Beijing’s eyes, further loosening the regime’s diplomatic constraints. “The changes have allowed Kim to loosen the shackles of economic sanctions,” DW concluded, “with Russia supplying North Korea with fuel and food.”
North Korea’s relationship with its two largest neighbors remains the bedrock of its foreign policy. On September 3, 2025, Kim Jong Un attended a grand military parade in Beijing, where he stood alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin—a rare multilateral appearance that underscored his growing stature in the region. The following day, Xi and Kim held talks, with Xi reaffirming the “traditional friendship” between their countries. Kim, for his part, insisted that “the friendly relations between North Korea and China will not change” and vowed to “continuously deepen and develop” their ties.
Kim didn’t stop there. During his Beijing trip, he met with Putin, who praised North Korea for sending troops to Russia to assist in combat. Kim expressed his willingness to “do everything possible” for Russia, and days later, on October 7, he sent Putin a birthday message pledging North Korea’s “full support for Russia’s ‘just struggle’ to defend its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security interests.” Kim described this as a “brotherly duty,” promising to “remain faithful to the implementation of our bilateral treaties.”
While these gestures reinforce the regime’s traditional alliances, the outreach to Vietnam and Laos signals a new chapter. As Gordon Kang, a senior analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told Lianhe Zaobao, “The significance of Vietnam-North Korea engagement lies in its contribution to maintaining ties between the region and North Korea. Vietnam is also a very active ASEAN member, and the region is likely to view their interactions positively.”
Vietnam’s presence at the anniversary event was more than symbolic. As Lianhe Zaobao noted, Vietnam’s active role in ASEAN and its relatively normal relations with the US, South Korea, and North Korea position it as a potential diplomatic bridge. Kim’s February 2019 summit with then-US President Donald Trump in Hanoi showed that Vietnam can host high-stakes diplomacy. Although US-North Korea relations have soured since Joe Biden took office, and deep divisions over Pyongyang’s nuclear program persist, Vietnam’s involvement raises the prospect of future engagement—especially with South Korea’s Lee Jae-myung government expressing hope for improved inter-Korean ties.
For China, supporting North Korea’s multilateral diplomacy serves multiple purposes. Playing the “North Korea card” helps counterbalance US influence in the region, but equally important is maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. By encouraging Pyongyang’s diplomatic overtures, Beijing aims to strengthen North Korea’s hand in future negotiations with the US, ultimately contributing to a more favorable environment for China’s own economic development.
Despite the pageantry and diplomatic maneuvering, the underlying tensions remain. Kim Jong Un used the anniversary celebrations to warn that Pyongyang is “preparing new military steps” in response to increased US military activity on the Korean Peninsula. The parade’s display of advanced weaponry sent a clear message: North Korea is not backing down from its confrontation with Washington and its allies.
Nevertheless, the events of October 10, 2025, suggest that North Korea is seeking to diversify its diplomatic toolkit. By strengthening ties with traditional partners and reaching out to new ones, Kim Jong Un is betting that his regime can weather international pressure—and perhaps even leverage its unique position to broker future deals. Whether this gamble pays off remains to be seen, but for now, the world is watching as Pyongyang charts a new, more complex course on the global stage.