N. Korea's vice defense minister attends Chinese defense forum

North Korea's Vice Defense Minister Kim Kang-il has traveled to Beijing to attend China's annual defense forum, according to Pyongyang's state media. The 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, which runs from Tuesday to Thursday, is often referred to as China's version of Singapore's Shangri-La Dialogue. This year's forum is centered around the theme of "Build Consensus on Stability, Advance Security Governance Together."

North Korea first participated in the forum in 2018, and Kim Hyong-ryong, then vice minister of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces, led the delegation. In the two most recent editions, military attaches from the North Korean Embassy in China attended due to strained bilateral relations. However, North Korea's decision to send its vice defense minister this year comes after a June summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping, where they pledged to enhance high-level exchanges.

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