Rare meet at China military parade: Kim Jong Un, South Korea speaker shake fingers; Beijing hosts symbolic gathering

North Korean chief Kim Jong Un shook fingers with Woo Won-shik, the speaker of South Korea’s National Assembly, on Wednesday, South Korea’s Yonhap information company reported, citing Woo’s workplace.The handshake passed off earlier than the beginning of a military parade in China marking the anniversary of Japan’s formal give up in World War Two.Yonhap stated Woo was representing South Korea at the occasion attended by Kim.Relations between the 2 Koreas stay tense, with diplomatic engagement largely stalled for the reason that failed 2019 summit between Kim after which US President Donald Trump. In current years, Pyongyang has stepped up its weapons improvement programme, whereas Seoul has strengthened defence ties with Washington. Public encounters between North and South Korean officers have grow to be uncommon amid this extended freeze in dialogue.China, which fought alongside North Korea within the Korean War, stays Pyongyang’s closest ally and has usually served as a venue for symbolic diplomatic interactions.