NKorea marking 60th anniversary of war's end

Chinese, North Korean and two US veterans today joined leader Kim Jong Un at the start of official commemorations in Pyongyang for the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.
In his first public appearance for the anniversary events, Kim laid a floral arrangement at a monument to war veterans that is the centerpiece of a sprawling new national military cemetery in Pyongyang's outskirts. Kim took power after his death of his father, Kim Jong Il, in late 2011 and has overseen two long-range rocket launches and a nuclear test that have drawn international condemnation and tightened UN sanctions.

Dozens of elderly Chinese soldiers who fought for North Korea joined today's commemoration. Also taking part: two US veterans who fought against Chinese soldiers at the Chosin Reservoir in November and December 1950.
"I would like to meet some (North) Korean veterans to tell them how sorry I am for their fallen comrades, and for my fallen comrades," said retired Pvt. First Class Dick Bonelli of the US Marines.
Bonelli and US Navy Capt Thomas Hudner are in North Korea to revisit Jangjin County, better known to Americans as the Chosin Reservoir.
"It's a very emotional occasion to be here with so many veterans -- not only the veterans but also the people of the nation who turned out to show their support to all of veterans. And as an American veteran, I am delighted to see that our former foe and we share some of the same feelings about this," Hudner said.

The Korean War, pitting North Korean and Chinese troops against US-led United Nations and South Korean forces, ended with an armistice on July 27, 1953. A peace treaty was never signed, leaving the Korean Peninsula in a technical state of war and divided at the 38th parallel.

That has not stopped the North Koreans from calling July 27 "Victory Day." Brightly colored banners with the words "Victory" and "War Victory" fluttered from buildings across the capital city. The North Korean government is expected to use the anniversary to rally support for Kim and to draw attention to the division of the Korean Peninsula.

In February, North Korea conducted a nuclear test, raising tensions in the region amid threats of war between the two Koreas that led to the shutting down of a jointly-run factory park in a North Korean border town.
Officials from the rivals have had a series of so-far unsuccessful meetings this month to reopen the park and are set to meet again today, their sixth discussion this month.