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

North Korea's Vice Defense Minister Kim Kang-il has departed for Beijing to participate in China's annual defense forum, according to Pyongyang's state media. The 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, which runs from Tuesday to Thursday, was attended by officials from North Korea's defense ministry alongside representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang.

This year's forum, themed "Build Consensus on Stability, Advance Security Governance Together," marks a return for North Korea, which had not attended in the last two editions due to strained relations. The forum, initiated by China in 2006, functions as a platform for military dialogue, often likened to Singapore's Shangri-La Dialogue.

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