North Korea's Kim shakes hands with South Korean parliament speaker

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shook hands with Woo Won-shik, the speaker of South Korea’s National Assembly, before the start of a military parade in Beijing on Wednesday, a rare interaction amids strained inter-Korean relations.

The pair shook hands before the start of a military parade they were attending in China to celebrate the formal surrender of Japan in World War Two, his office said in a statement. Woo was representing South Korea at the event.

Woo, along with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, has urged the resumption of dialogue between Seoul and Pyongyang, though North Korea has so far dismissed such overtures, saying it is not interested in talks.

During his visit, Woo also met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who asked if there was a message he could deliver to Kim. Woo replied that building peace on the Korean Peninsula was “very important,” despite the challenges.

Before departing for Beijing, Woo said he was uncertain whether a meeting with Kim would take place, but stressed he hoped to discuss ways to foster peace if the opportunity arose. He was accompanied by several lawmakers, including a veteran politician with past experience in facilitating inter-Korean dialogue.

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