North Korea Military Parade: DPRK’s Collusion with China, Russia Could Destabilize World

Editorial

16:40 JST, October 13, 2025

It has been only about a month since the supreme leaders of China, Russia and North Korea gathered in Beijing in September. This time, the three countries in Pyongyang once again demonstrated their solidarity.

The collusion between North Korea, China and Russia that ignores international law and attempts to rewrite the order cannot be overlooked.

North Korea held a large-scale military parade in Pyongyang on Friday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea. Alongside Kim Jong Un, the party’s general secretary, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev were among those who watched the parade.

North Korea continues to ignore U.N. Security Council sanctions resolutions and strengthen its nuclear and missile capabilities. The bizarre aspect is that the key figures from China and Russia — permanent members of the Security Council who should bear responsibility for world peace and stability — have observed this very development.

It has been pointed out that North Korea possesses about 2 tons of highly enriched uranium that could be used in nuclear weapons and is capable of producing 100 nuclear warheads. China and Russia once opposed North Korea for possessing nuclear weapons, but some observers believe they have shifted to not pursuing Pyongyang’s denuclearization.

North Korea’s nuclear development poses a serious threat to the international community and must never be tolerated.

The collusion of the three countries has repercussions extending beyond East Asia. Russia invaded Ukraine, and North Korea has also joined in by dispatching troops there. By importing energy from Russia, China supports its wartime economy, thereby delaying the end of the war in Ukraine.

The latest military parade unveiled a new Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile, which is believed to have the capability to strike anywhere in the United States. Advanced weapons such as drone-launching vehicles and hypersonic missiles, which are considered difficult to intercept, also made appearances.

“Our army should continue to grow into an invincible entity that destroys all threats approaching our range of self-defense,” Kim said in his speech. Japan, the United States and South Korea must unite and intensify pressure to deter North Korea.

A concerning aspect is that U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to break the deadlock through a summit with Kim, as he did during his first term.

If Trump makes concessions to Pyongyang, such as allowing possession of nuclear weapons and medium- and short-range ballistic missiles in exchange for scrapping ICBMs capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, it could jeopardize regional security.

At the Japan-South Korea summit held at the end of September, the two countries confirmed their continued cooperation toward the complete denuclearization of North Korea. Japan and South Korea, both U.S. allies, must persistently urge Trump not to rush into a hasty deal with Pyongyang.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 13, 2025)