North Korea appears to be holding out an olive branch to China by repeatedly extending, in recent days, gratitude to its longtime patron for having participated in the 1950-53 Korean War in support of the communist regime. 

The North’s Korean Central News Agency reported Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a wreath to a cemetery in South Pyongan Province as he marked the 62nd anniversary of the North’s “victory” in what it calls the Liberation War.

Last Saturday, Kim also expressed his appreciation to Chinese veterans who participated in the war during his congratulatory speech at the national convention of old veterans.

“I extend my noble respect to Chinese veterans who bled while fighting shoulder to shoulder alongside us to support our revolutionary war for justice, for the sake of Korean people’s freedom and independence, and peace,” he was quoted as saying by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Such statements came amid diplomatic tensions between Pyongyang and Beijing.

The bilateral relationship deteriorated after the North pushed ahead with its third nuclear test in February 2013, and with the execution later that year of Jang Song-thaek, the North Korean leader’s once-powerful uncle and a pivotal figure in managing cooperation with China.

Since he took power in 2013, Xi has yet to hold a bilateral summit with the North Korean leader, which has underscored the diplomatic estrangement between the two nations. Yet Xi has met with South Korean President Park Geun-hye six times.

Amid diplomatic tension with Beijing, Pyongyang is seeking to diversify its diplomacy, which had been dominated by China, bolstering economic cooperation with Russia through several projects including the Hasan-Rajin logistic cooperation scheme.

A senior Seoul official said that the repeated expressions of gratitude to Chinese war veterans indicate that the North wants to “normalize” relations with China.

“With no high-level official contact between the two nations for about a year and a half, the North appears to be expressing its hopes for the normalization of bilateral ties,” the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

Analysts echoed his view, saying that China is still the most important partner for the impoverished state.

“Without the help of China, North Korea can hardly resolve a series of crucial issues including its nuclear, economic and diplomatic issues,” said Koh Yoo-hwan, a North Korea expert at Seoul’s Dongguk University.

“Now nearly four years in office (for North Korean leader Kim), the North needs to engage issues surrounding the bilateral relationship. And in light of this, the series of statements toward China can be seen as an indication of the North’s will to improve the strained ties.”

Attention is now being drawn to whether the North Korean ruler will attend China’s ceremony on Sept. 3 to mark the 70th anniversary of China’s victory in its “War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.” Observers say this would be an opportunity for the North to mend fences with China.

Meanwhile, North Korean Ambassador to China Ji Jae-ryong said Pyongyang is “not at all” interested in any dialogue on the “unilateral” renunciation of its nuclear program.

“Our nuclear deterrence capabilities are not something that can be bargained away as it is a prerequisite for us to safeguard our rights to independence and survival amidst the U.S.’ nuclear threats and hostile policy toward us that have continued for more than half a century,” he said during a meeting with the foreign press.

“It is our firm, unwavering position that we will, in all possible ways, strengthen our nuclear deterrence to defend against increasing threats of the U.S.’ possible nuclear war and invasion.”

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)