Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Kim Jong Un, stand on the reviewing stand listening to the national anthems of the two countries during the welcome ceremony on October 9 in Pyongyang. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

PYONGYANG — General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un chaired a welcome ceremony in Pyongyang on Thursday morning for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee Tô Lâm and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation who are on a state visit to the DPRK.

A 21-gun salute was fired in honour of General Secretary Tô Lâm and the Vietnamese delegation.

The DPRK was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Việt Nam in 1950. The traditional friendship between the two countries has been nurtured by President Hồ Chí Minh, President Kim Il Sung, and generations of leaders of both nations. The DPRK stood side by side and assisted Việt Nam during the latter’s past struggle for national liberation while Vietnam has always supported the DPRK during trying times.

General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Kim Jong Un (right) greeted Party General Secretary Tô Lâm. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

General Secretary Tô Lâm’s state visit to the DPRK takes place as the two countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic ties and the Friendship Year 2025, vividly reflecting the importance that the two Parties and States attach to the long-standing ties between the nations. It also demonstrates Việt Nam's consistent foreign policy of treasuring relations with traditional friends.

The visit is a very important occasion for the top leaders of the two Parties and two countries to discuss and agree on strategic orientations to inherit and promote the traditional friendship between the two Parties and two countries, and strengthen bilateral cooperation in the new period in accordance with relevant international regulations, meeting the aspirations and wishes of the people of the two countries. — VNA/VNS

A view of the welcome ceremony in Pyongyang for General Secretary Tô Lâm. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

Việt Nam's and DPRK's top leaders with the children of Pyongyang welcoming them. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Kim Jong Un, conversed during the official welcome ceremony on October 9. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm and General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Kim Jong Un reviewed the guards of honour. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

Hundreds of officials and people from the DPRK were on the grandstands watching the welcome ceremony. On both sides of the grandstand were banners reading: “Warmly welcome Comrade Tô Lâm, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Việt Nam” and “Long live the friendship and solidarity between the peoples of Korea and Việt Nam.” — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

WPK General Secretary Kim Jong Un introduced the high-level delegation of DPRK to General Secretary Tô Lâm. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất