Many high-ranking officials from many countries came to North Korea to celebrate National Day.

On September 7, the Rodong Sinmun newspaper published photos of foreign guests coming to Pyongyang to celebrate the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding. Photo: Yonhap

The Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the ruling Workers' Party, published photos and a list of important foreign guests in Pyongyang, aiming to heighten the festive atmosphere ahead of the main event on September 9.

The number of foreign visitors to North Korea is expected to peak on September 8.

Mr. Li Zhanshu - Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China has planned to fly to Pyongyang on this day as a special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Li, considered China's No. 3 in the ruling party, will be the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit North Korea under leader Kim Jong-un. He is expected to be accompanied by several senior Chinese government and ruling party officials.

From Russia, Valentina Matvienko - Chairwoman of the Russian Federation Council will soon visit Pyongyang, and is expected to hold talks on improving Russia-North Korea bilateral relations.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Salvador Antonio Valdes Mesa - First Vice President of the State Council and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba will soon arrive in the capital of the DPRK with a delegation of members of the Cuban party and state to attend events marking the anniversary.

KCNA said Milia Jabbour, representing the President of the Republic of Lebanon, and a Dominican Republic government delegation led by Government Minister Jose Miguel Mejia arrived in Pyongyang earlier this week.

North Korea's Air Koryo has temporarily increased flights to Pyongyang from Beijing to accommodate foreign guests, reporters and tourists planning to attend the upcoming major celebrations.

On September 6, Air Koryo added two more flights to Pyongyang at noon and 7 p.m., in addition to its regular flight at 2 p.m.

North Korea watchers said the list of foreign guests also included some unknown figures such as the chairman of the Mongolia-Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group and the chairman of the Japan-Korea Fukuoka Prefectural Friendship Association, leading them to speculate that the importance of foreign guests seemed to be less prominent in the 1970s and 1980s.

Photo: Yonhap

According to data from the South Korean Ministry of Unification, China's Deng Xiaoping and Bangladesh's President visited Pyongyang in 1978 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of North Korea's National Day. In 1988, then Chinese President Yang Shangkun and the President of Czechoslovakia visited North Korea to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the country's National Day.

However, other observers said that given the absence of senior foreign leaders from large-scale political events since 1990, this year's gathering of foreign guests ahead of the September 9 anniversary was not too disappointing.

“As the political situation on the Korean Peninsula has changed rapidly following North Korea’s successive summit talks with South Korea and the United States, China and Russia have shown their appreciation for North Korea’s National Day. It shows North Korea’s elevated status,” said a university professor in Seoul.