North Korea Joins Russia's Victory Day Parade for First Time, Showcasing 'Blood Alliance'

North Korea's unprecedented participation in Russia's Victory Day parade marks a significant display of its 'blood alliance' with Moscow. The Korean People's Army mixed corps marched proudly in Red Square, a move meticulously reported by the Rodong Sinmun and Korean Central News Agency. This event, highlighted on the front pages, serves to underscore the robust ties between Pyongyang and Moscow to the North Korean populace.

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Moscow's Red Square hosted a military parade celebrating the 81st anniversary of the Great Patriotic War victory, and at Russia's invitation, a mixed corps of the Korean People's Army, Navy, and Air Force participated in the Moscow Victory Parade.

The article from Hankyoreh notes that the North Korean contingent marched alongside Russian soldiers who liberated Kursk, emphasizing North Korea's contribution to Russia's victory. This narrative, while potentially exaggerated, aims to bolster domestic pride and reinforce the legitimacy of the North Korean regime. It also signals Pyongyang's ambition to forge a strategic partnership with Russia, comparable to the alliance with the United States.

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The contingent of soldiers of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, who displayed immortal heroic feats in the battles to liberate Kursk, marched across Red Square alongside the Russian soldiers' parade contingents.

While Kim Jong Un himself did not attend, he sent a congratulatory message to President Putin, reaffirming the strategic partnership. The parade itself was notably scaled down, with fewer advanced weapons and a shorter duration, possibly due to security concerns following a recent drone attack on Moscow. This subdued ceremony, however, does not diminish the symbolic importance of North Korea's first-time participation, which serves as a powerful visual statement of solidarity in a challenging geopolitical climate.

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Russia's Kursk was defended with the blood of the North Korean army, indirectly expecting reciprocal benefits from Russia, boosting the pride and regime legitimacy of the North Korean army, and showcasing the construction of a North Korea-Russia alliance comparable to the South Korea-US alliance.