He is no longer the desperate figure seeking validation.
For the first time since 1959, a North Korean leader will stand at a Chinese military parade, and the weight of that absence makes the return all the more significant. Kim Jong Un's appearance in Beijing alongside Vladimir Putin is not merely a ceremonial gesture — it is a carefully composed statement that North Korea has moved from the margins of global power to its contested center. Backed by a growing nuclear arsenal, a wartime alliance with Russia, and an economy quietly expanding, Kim arrives not as a supplicant but as a figure multiple great powers now compete to court. The question diplomacy must now answer is whether Washington can negotiate with a partner who no longer needs the negotiation.
- Kim Jong Un's first multilateral appearance in fourteen years of rule — timed precisely against Trump's overture — signals that Pyongyang is dictating the rhythm of engagement, not responding to it.
- The Beijing parade unites Kim, Putin, and Xi in a single frame, visually consolidating an axis that Washington has struggled to address as a coherent strategic bloc.
- South Korea watches with quiet alarm, fearing it may be sidelined in the very diplomacy that determines its survival, even as President Lee publicly urges Trump to lead the charge.
- North Korea's economy grew 3.7 percent in 2024 and its troops are fighting in Ukraine — Kim's leverage is no longer rhetorical; it is material, military, and multinational.
- Trump and Lee have both signaled openness to talks, but analysts warn this visit looks less like a prelude to dialogue and more like Kim setting the price of admission.
Donald Trump had barely signaled openness to meeting Kim Jong Un when Pyongyang answered — not through quiet diplomacy, but with a public announcement that Kim would stand beside Vladimir Putin at a Chinese military parade in Beijing on September 3rd. The timing was deliberate. The message was unmistakable.
This marks Kim's first appearance at a major multilateral event since taking power fourteen years ago, and the first time a North Korean leader has attended a Chinese military parade since 1959. The occasion nominally commemorates eighty years since Japan's defeat in World War II, but the real demonstration is of a different kind: North Korea is no longer isolated, no longer desperate, and no longer willing to negotiate from weakness. Kim arrives backed by a deepening alliance with Russia, a nuclear arsenal that keeps growing, troops fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, and an economy that expanded 3.7 percent in 2024 — its fastest growth since 2016.
Victor Cha of the Center for Strategic and International Studies sees the visit as a chance for Xi Jinping to re-engage with Kim after years of distance, suggesting Xi may be unusually generous to win Kim's favor. That competition between Moscow and Beijing for Pyongyang's alignment is precisely the point: when multiple powers seek your favor, you stop asking for a seat at the table.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, meeting Trump in Washington this week, urged him directly to engage Pyongyang, saying only he could move the needle. North Korea has kept the door slightly ajar, calling the Trump-Kim personal relationship "not bad" — but has also dismissed denuclearization as a "naive dream" and shown little faith that American concessions will ever materialize after the 2019 collapse of talks.
Seoul's Foreign Ministry, aware of the visit before it was announced, expressed hope it might somehow advance denuclearization — but the subtext is anxiety about being sidelined in a regional realignment it cannot control. Economists at Bloomberg note that such visits have historically preceded renewed US engagement, but assess this one differently: Kim is not signaling readiness for dialogue so much as reminding Washington, Seoul, Beijing, and Moscow that he is no longer the figure seeking validation. He is the one being sought.
Donald Trump had barely finished saying he'd welcome a meeting with Kim Jong Un when Pyongyang offered its own reply—not through backchannels or diplomatic notes, but through a public announcement that Kim would stand beside Vladimir Putin at a Chinese military parade in Beijing on September 3rd. The timing was deliberate. The message was unmistakable.
This will be Kim's first appearance at a major multilateral diplomatic event since he took power fourteen years ago. More strikingly, it marks the first time a North Korean leader has attended a Chinese military parade since 1959. The event itself commemorates eighty years since the end of World War II and Japan's defeat, but the real occasion is something else entirely: a demonstration that North Korea is no longer isolated, no longer desperate, and no longer willing to negotiate from weakness. Kim arrives backed by a deepening alliance with Russia, a nuclear arsenal that continues to grow, and troops currently fighting in Ukraine alongside Russian forces. The economy expanded 3.7 percent in 2024, the fastest growth since 2016, according to South Korea's central bank.
Victor Cha, Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, sees the visit as an opportunity for Xi Jinping to re-engage with Kim after years of keeping him at arm's length. "Xi may be more gracious than usual with Kim for this purpose," Cha said, which would position Kim as a prize both Russia and China are competing to win. That competition is precisely the point. When multiple powers want your favor, you stop begging for a seat at the table.
The diplomatic landscape has shifted since Trump and Kim met in person for nuclear talks. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, speaking alongside Trump in Washington this week, urged the American president to engage with Pyongyang, telling him: "The only person that can make progress on this issue is you, Mr. President." North Korea has kept the door slightly open to dialogue with the US, describing the personal relationship between Trump and Kim as "not bad." But the country has also made clear its skepticism. After negotiations collapsed in 2019, Kim has little reason to believe American concessions will materialize. When Lee pushed for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, North Korea dismissed the idea as a "naive dream."
South Korea's Foreign Ministry said it was aware of Kim's China visit before the public announcement, and expressed hope that the trip would somehow contribute to denuclearization efforts. But the subtext is anxiety. Seoul worries it could be sidelined in regional diplomacy, a development that would undermine South Korea's security interests at a moment when its leverage appears to be shrinking.
Economists at Bloomberg note that historically, such visits often precede renewed engagement with the US. This one feels different. "This visit seems to serve less as a prelude to dialogue than a signal that Kim can rally powerful partners and force Washington to play on his terms," they wrote. Trump and Lee have both signaled openness to talks, but Kim holds the cards now. He will decide whether to rejoin negotiations, and on what conditions. The parade in Beijing is his way of reminding everyone—Washington, Seoul, Beijing, Moscow—that he is no longer the desperate figure seeking validation. He is the one being sought.
Notable Quotes
Xi may be more gracious than usual with Kim for this purpose, positioning him as a prize both Russia and China are competing to win— Victor Cha, Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
The only person that can make progress on this issue is you, Mr. President— South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, speaking to Trump
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Kim attending a military parade in Beijing matter so much? It's a ceremonial event.
Because it's not really about the parade. It's Kim appearing on a global stage alongside Putin and Xi, saying to Washington: I have other options now. I'm not isolated. I have allies with nuclear weapons and armies.
But Trump just said he wants to meet with Kim. Doesn't that suggest the US still has leverage?
It does suggest Trump wants talks. But Kim's response is to show up in Beijing instead. That's him saying: I'll talk when I'm ready, on my terms, not yours. He's been burned before—negotiations collapsed in 2019 with nothing to show for it.
What's changed since then?
Russia. North Korea is now actively helping Russia fight in Ukraine. That alliance has given Kim economic breathing room and military support. His economy grew faster last year than it has in nearly a decade. He's no longer desperate.
So South Korea is worried?
Deeply. Seoul fears it's being cut out of the conversation about its own security. If the US and North Korea negotiate directly, and China and Russia are already aligned with Pyongyang, where does South Korea fit?
Can Trump actually negotiate a deal?
Only if Kim wants one. And right now, Kim is signaling he doesn't need to rush. He has leverage he didn't have before. That changes everything about what a deal would look like.