Pyongyang welcomes Putin with spectacular ceremony (VIDEO)

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang with a spectacular ceremony on Wednesday, marking the Russian leader’s first official visit to the country since 2000. 

The two leaders began the official ceremony at Kim Il Sung Square in central Pyongyang at around noon on Wednesday. A military orchestra played the national anthems of the two nations, with artillery guns firing a welcoming salvo. The square, which can hold more than 100,000 people, was packed with local residents, who came to greet the Russian president. 

Ahead of President Putin’s visit, the streets of the North Korean capital were decorated with countless Russian flags, welcoming banners both in Korean and Russian, and portraits of the Russian head of state. 

Official talks between the two delegations began immediately after the ceremony, and the heads of state are expected to hold a one-on-one discussion later in the day.