On October 9 and 10, 2025, North Korea marked a pivotal milestone: the 80th anniversary of its ruling Workers’ Party. The celebrations, held in Pyongyang’s May Day Stadium and throughout the capital, were more than just a display of military might and national pride—they signaled a new era for Kim Jong Un’s regime, one defined by deepening ties with Russia and China, an emboldened nuclear stance, and a renewed promise to transform North Korea into what Kim called an “affluent socialist paradise.”
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim Jong Un delivered a sweeping speech before a massive crowd, declaring, “Today, we stand before the world as a mighty people with no obstacles we cannot overcome and no great achievement we cannot accomplish.” The North Korean leader asserted that the Workers’ Party had not made “a single mistake or error” in its eight-decade history, crediting the party’s wisdom and the people’s strength for the nation’s resilience and ascent on the world stage.
The festivities were meticulously orchestrated, featuring mass games, art performances, and a grand military parade with tens of thousands of troops. The spectacle was not just for domestic consumption. High-level delegations from China and Russia attended, a testament to North Korea’s growing diplomatic muscle. Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s presence marked the highest-level Chinese visit to North Korea since 2019, while Russia sent Dmitry Medvedev, the former president and now deputy head of the Russian Security Council. Vietnamese leader To Lam was also among the honored guests. As KCNA reported, the stadium “shook the capital’s night sky” with cheers for Kim and his international guests.
“Friends are together, enemies are nervous,” Medvedev quipped on the Russian state-backed messenger app MAX, capturing the mood of solidarity among the three nations. The show of unity was underscored by Kim’s recent appearances with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at Beijing’s World War II victory parade, further cementing North Korea’s alignment with its powerful neighbors.
Al Jazeera’s Jack Barton, reporting from Seoul, noted that North Korea is “no longer the most isolated state in the world,” citing a South Korean government adviser. The message from Pyongyang was clear: Kim Jong Un is not only consolidating his grip on power at home, but also stepping confidently onto the international stage.
The parade and anniversary events came at a time of profound geopolitical shifts. Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and the intensifying rivalry between the US and China have elevated North Korea’s value as a partner to both Moscow and Beijing. According to a former North Korean diplomat, Lee Il Kyu, “North Korea’s status has grown significantly. From that perspective, Kim’s decision to support Russia’s war against Ukraine was the right one.”
Indeed, North Korea has supplied Russia with weapons, ammunition, and personnel, while Moscow has reciprocated with shipments of food and fuel. This partnership was formalized in 2024 when the two countries pledged mutual military assistance in the event of an attack on either nation. At the same time, there are reports—cited by international media—suggesting that China has eased its enforcement of United Nations sanctions on North Korea, further alleviating economic pressure on Pyongyang.
Kim’s speech did not shy away from the nuclear issue. He reaffirmed North Korea’s policy of simultaneous development of nuclear weapons and the economy, a doctrine crafted to counter “growing nuclear war threats by the US imperialists.” As he put it, “Our party and government are still coping with our adversaries’ ferocious political and military moves of pressure by pursuing harder-line policies, holding fast to firm principles and employing brave, unflinching countermeasures. This is powerfully propelling the growth of the progressive camp against war and hegemony.”
North Korea’s nuclear ambitions are now enshrined in law. In September 2022, Pyongyang passed legislation permitting the preemptive use of nuclear weapons, and in 2023, this doctrine was embedded in the constitution, making the country’s nuclear status “irreversible.” The US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessed in May 2025 that North Korea is in its “strongest strategic position in decades” and poses a growing threat to US forces and allies in East Asia. The DIA also warned that North Korea’s advancing military capabilities could eventually threaten the US mainland.
Despite these developments, Kim left the door open for dialogue with Washington—albeit on his terms. In late September, he stated, “If the United States drops the absurd obsession with denuclearising us and accepts reality, and wants genuine peaceful coexistence, there is no reason for us not to sit down with the United States.” This conditional openness has fueled speculation about a possible meeting with US President Donald Trump, who is scheduled to visit South Korea at the end of October for the APEC summit. Some observers wonder if the two leaders might reprise their historic encounter at the Demilitarized Zone, as they did in June 2019.
Kim’s consolidation of power was another major theme of the anniversary. Since succeeding his father, Kim Jong Il, in 2011, Kim Jong Un has steered the Workers’ Party through significant changes. He convened the first party congress in decades in 2016, reaffirming “Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism” as the guiding principle and promoting himself to party chairman. The 2021 congress saw the abandonment of the “military-first doctrine” in favor of a “people-first doctrine,” and Kim was elevated to general secretary of the Central Committee, solidifying his absolute authority. Last month, Kim announced plans for a ninth party congress, which will emphasize the simultaneous development of nuclear and conventional forces—a move that signals ongoing preparations for the future direction of the party and the state.
Throughout the anniversary events, Kim projected unwavering confidence in North Korea’s trajectory. “I will surely turn this country into a more affluent and beautiful land and into the best socialist paradise in the world,” he pledged. His talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang reinforced the regime’s commitment to “friendly and cooperative relations” with Beijing, which Kim described as “showing the invariable support and special friendly feeling towards the WPK and the government and people of the DPRK.”
As North Korea looks to the future, the message from Pyongyang is unmistakable: the regime is more assertive, more connected, and more determined than ever to chart its own course—no matter the obstacles or opposition it faces on the world stage.
