(Seoul, 3rd, Comprehensive Report) Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and President of Laos, Thongloun Sisoulith, at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, will visit North Korea and attend the commemorative event for the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party on October 10.
North Korea has long suffered severe international sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs, and it is rare for a foreign head of state to visit, making Thongloun's trip particularly noteworthy. The Korean Central News Agency announced this news on Thursday, October 2.
According to the Laos Times, this visit marks an important milestone in the two countries’ long-standing diplomatic relations. Thongloun, as the first foreign head of state invited to attend the party celebration, demonstrates the close ties between the two countries. However, the newspaper also cited a Lao government statement saying that Thongloun will visit North Korea on October 7 and 8, but it has not yet been confirmed whether he will attend the commemorative event on the 10th.
The Yonhap News Agency, quoting South Korean officials, reported that North Korea is expected to hold a nighttime military parade on the party founding anniversary.
In addition, there are reports that General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, To Lam, may also visit North Korea in October. If this happens, it would be the first visit to North Korea by a Vietnamese leader in nearly 20 years. Coinciding with the 75th anniversary of Vietnam–North Korea diplomatic relations, analysts believe that if To Lam visits North Korea, it will send an important signal of Vietnam’s balanced approach toward Korean Peninsula affairs. This August, To Lam paid a four-day state visit to South Korea, marking the first visit by Vietnam's top leader to South Korea in 11 years.