North Korea’s ruling party turns 80 with foreign leaders in attendance

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, and Vietnamese General Secretary of Communist Party To Lam shake hands in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. (Hoang Thong Nhat/VNA via AP)

BEIJING — North Korea is celebrating Friday the 80th anniversary of the ruling party and different foreign dignitaries and leaders will be part of the commemoration.

The Workers’ Party celebrations will serve to show once again how North Korea is trying to shore up its relations with some key global players and allies, such as China and Russia, who are sending high-level representatives.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has had in China his most important ally, and in recent years he has also built ties with Russia, a country North Korea has helped by sending troops to participate in its war against Ukraine.

In September, Kim Jong Un stood next to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of a visit to Beijing to attend a massive military parade marking the end of the World War II.

The plans of what will happen during the commemoration have not been revealed, but some foreign leaders have started arriving.

Here’s a view of some of the leaders and high-level representatives that are expected to attend:

China’s Premier Li Qiang

Premier Li Qiang arrived Thursday in Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Li’s presence is the highest-level visit by a Chinese leader since 2019. He is one of seven members of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party’s Politburo, the apex of power in China.

As premier, he is generally considered the No. 2 leader in China after President Xi Jinping. Li has been representing China on more foreign trips and high-level events recently, including the United Nations General Assembly in September.

Russia’s former President Dmitry Medvedev

Russia is sending Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president who serves as deputy head of the Security Council chaired by Putin, to this week’s anniversary celebrations, North Korea’s official KCNA news agency said Monday.

North Korea has been expanding cooperation with Russia, another neighbor to China. It has supplied combat troops and ammunitions to support Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Vietnam’s top leader To Lam

Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, Vietnam’s top leader, also arrived Thursday in North Korea for the celebrations, Vietnamese state media reported.

As general secretary of the Communist Party in Vietnam, he holds the same leadership position held by Kim Jong Un in the North Korean Workers’ Party.

To Lam who was welcomed by Kim Jong Un in a ceremony in Pyongyang, reported the Vietnamese state media. The visit happens as both countries also celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Laos’ President Thongloun Sisoulith

The president of Laos, Thongloun Sisoulith, will also attend, KCNA said last week. He is general secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party.