N. Korea to hold conference of Korean War veterans

North Korea plans to hold a national conference of war veterans this year to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, its state media said Tuesday.

"Taking part in the conference will be war veterans across the country who honorably defended the dignity and sovereignty of the country and made a miraculous victory in the war," the Korean Central News Agency said in English.

The conference, the fifth of its kind, will be held in Pyongyang. The KCNA didn't provide other details.



(Yonhap)
The Korean War ended in an armistice signed on July 27, 1953, which leaves South and North Korea technically in a state of war.

The North has designated the date as "Victory Day."

The North held its first conference of war veterans in 1993, when it marked the 40th anniversary of the end of the war. The three others took place in 2012, 2013 and 2015, all after Kim took office in late 2011.

At the 2015 conference, Kim honored war veterans for fighting for the North during the conflict and urged young people to cherish their spirit and patriotism.

The leader offered a rare show of respect to Chinese veterans who made sacrifices to help North Korea fight the Korean War. It was interpreted as a reconciliatory gesture to Beijing when the two countries' relations remained strained.

Close attention will likely be paid to what message Kim will deliver this year on China amid increasing signs that their ties are warming.  (Yonhap)