Truth behind Kim’s pass on China trip revealed

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un is said to have
backed out of attending a massive military parade in China, which will
celebrate the country’s 70th anniversary victory in World War II, after
Beijing refused to receive the leader with ‘highest respects’. Pyongyang
specifically requested that Kim stand side by side with President Xi Jinping up
on the official balcony overlooking Tiananmen Square but was turned down, Daily NK has
learned. 

“Talk of the massive military parade in
China and V-day celebrations that fall on the 3rd has been going around quite a
bit among Pyongyang and provincial cadres as well as the public,” a source from
South Pyongan Province told Daily NK on Tuesday. “Party cadres have said that
the main reason why the General (Kim Jong Un) is not taking part in the
ceremony is because he won’t be able to stand on the main platform in the front
row.”
 

This information was crosschecked with an additional source in North Pyongan Province.

“Based on what I’ve heard from central
cadre members, Pyongyang held multiple talks with the Chinese government on the
matter. But not only was he not going to be seated in the center, he was
assigned to the side, which is why he is not taking part,” the source said.
“This debate on where to seat him was at the center of discussion with Russia’s
70th V-day celebration as well back in May.”
 

Facing his first ever trip overseas, which
would have been broadcast across the nation, Kim Jong Un likely decided not to
go unless he knew he would be able to receive the best of treatment, the source
surmised. “One shot of him standing not at center stage but to the sideline
would bring down his ‘dignity’ that he so fervently tried to build up for four
years,” she emphasized.
 

Most people in the North are already well
aware that South Korean President Park Geun Hye will be attending the ceremony,
further contributing to Pyongyang’s decision to remain absent from the widely
publicized event, as Park already boasts close ties with Xi having met him on
several occasions, according to the source.
 

Pyongyang has slogans up on the streets
aimed at elevating the leader which claim ‘The world revolves around the
leadership of Chosun’s songun [military-first policy]. To the public, the state says ‘Kim Jong Un is
praised worldwide’, she noted, explaining that this is why reception in China
that falls short of expectations would only challenge his status back home.
 

“For these various reasons, there’s no way
for the leader to attend this major event held in neighboring China even though
it’s considered to be its ‘conventional blood ally,” the source pointed out,
adding that anything that would challenge the ‘highest dignity’ of Kim Jong Un
is deemed unacceptable.
 

Looking back on an incident in 2008, when
images of global leaders attending the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics were beamed
across the world, the source said residents at the time commented on images
from Korean Central Television of the North’s Kim Yong Nam, who attended in
place of then-leader Kim Jong Il. Having been spotted sitting in the audience
instead of at the main platform, they expressed disappointment saying they
didn’t realize the North was so unpopular, according to the source.

*The content of this article was broadcast
to the North Korean people via Unification Media Group.