China and North Korea held a ceremony on October 24 marking the completion of renovation work at the Chinese People's Volunteers martyrs' cemetery in Sinphyong County, North Hwanghae Province, according to Xinhua. The event came a day before the 76th anniversary of China's entry into the Korean War.
The ceremony began at about 10 a.m., Xinhua reported. The national anthems of both countries were played, and representatives from the two sides laid flower baskets before the martyrs. Attendees stood in silence, presented flowers, poured libations, and visited the graves and the wall of martyrs' names to pay their respects.
Why it matters
The cemeteries are the most visible physical link in a relationship both governments describe as sealed in blood. The renovation project was agreed at the highest levels of both ruling parties and carried out jointly, and officials on both sides framed the completed work as a way of carrying that bond into the future. The timing, on the eve of the war's 76th anniversary, gives the ceremony added weight.
Officials stress shared sacrifice and continued cooperation
Qi Han, charge d'affaires at the Chinese Embassy in North Korea, said in remarks at the ceremony that 76 years ago Chinese volunteers and Korean soldiers and civilians fought side by side through bloodshed and shared hardship, and that the traditional friendship forged in that sacrifice would not fade, according to Xinhua. He said China is ready to keep working with North Korea to implement the consensus reached by the two countries' top leaders, to properly honor and commemorate the volunteers buried in North Korea, to strengthen traditional ties and strategic coordination, and to safeguard regional stability. Peace and development, he said, would be the best tribute to the fallen and a benefit to both peoples.
Hong Zongming, a vice minister of China's Ministry of Veterans Affairs, described the memorial sites in North Korea as important vehicles for carrying forward the spirit of the martyrs and passing on the friendship between the two countries. He said his ministry and North Korea's Ministry of Urban Management have jointly managed and protected the memorial facilities in line with the consensus reached by the two parties' top leaders, and that the work contributes to consolidating the traditional friendship and advancing bilateral relations.
Kang Chol Ho, a vice minister at North Korea's Ministry of Urban Management, said protecting and managing the memorial facilities is a noble undertaking passed down through generations, aimed at carrying forward the spirit the volunteers displayed in wartime, Xinhua reported. He said North Korea would continue the work together with Chinese colleagues and contribute to passing on and developing the traditional friendship between the two countries.
Five sites completed within a year
The two sides broke ground on the Sinphyong County renovation in late October 2025, according to Xinhua. As of October 2026, the relevant Chinese and North Korean departments had finished work at five volunteers' cemeteries: Sinphyong County in North Hwanghae Province, and Wonsan City, Munchon City, Chonnae County and Sepo County in Kangwon Province.
The Chinese People's Volunteers entered the Korean War in October 1950. The anniversary of that entry is marked each year in China, and this year's commemorations included an event in Shenyang, according to China Daily.
The next marker to watch is how the two governments follow through on the management agreement for the remaining memorial sites in North Korea, and whether the joint work continues at the same pace in the year ahead.
