Analysts say the spectacle will likely include the North s nuclear-tipped missiles banned by the United Nations Security Council, where Russia and China are permanent members. The visits are the first known foreign delegations to visit North Korea since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and come as Pyongyang has looked to deepen its ties with Beijing and Moscow, finding common ground in their rivalries with Washington and the West.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's plans to offer economic aid in return for denuclearisation could face an early challenge amid signs of an imminent North Korean nuclear test - and such proposals have been rebuffed before, analysts say.