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

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shook hands with Woo Won-shik, the speaker of South Korea 's National Assembly, on Wednesday, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported, citing Woo's office.

The handshake took place before the start of a military parade in China marking the anniversary of Japan’s formal surrender in World War Two.

Yonhap said Woo was representing South Korea at the event attended by Kim.

Relations between the two Koreas remain tense, with diplomatic engagement largely stalled since the failed 2019 summit between Kim and then US President Donald Trump. In recent years, Pyongyang has stepped up its weapons development programme, while Seoul has strengthened defence ties with Washington. Public encounters between North and South Korean officials have become rare amid this prolonged freeze in dialogue.

China, which fought alongside North Korea in the Korean War , remains Pyongyang’s closest ally and has often served as a venue for symbolic diplomatic interactions.