Malaysia PM Anwar meets North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in chance encounter in China
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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (centre) were among 26 foreign leaders attending a military parade in China on Sept 3.
PHOTO: ANWAR IBRAHIM/FACEBOOK
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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Beijing, where the pair attended China’s Victory Day parade on Sept 3, Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported.
“By chance, I met the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, who was also present to watch the parade at Tiananmen Square. Had the chance to greet and say hello,” Datuk Seri Anwar said on Facebook, accompanied by a photo of the two men shaking hands.
A majority of the comments on the Facebook post welcomed the meeting, with Malaysians praising Mr Anwar for taking the opportunity to engage with Mr Kim.
The two were among 26 foreign leaders attending the military parade in China
The encounter was the first meeting between leaders of the two countries since Malaysia and North Korea cut diplomatic ties in 2021 following the assassination of Mr Kim’s half-brother Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in 2017.
In 1979, then Malaysian deputy premier Mahathir Mohamad met North Korean leader Kim Il Sung, laying the groundwork for bilateral relations between the two countries.
