India reportedly considers inviting Kim Jong Un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, as Chief Guest for its 2026 Republic Day celebrations (to be held on January 26).

The Indian media have reported that the recent meeting between Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir Ahmed Shah, the Army Chief of Pakistan, and US President Donald John Trump at the White House has prompted the Narendra Modi Administration to make such a diplomatic move, sparking global attention.

Although the Government of India is yet to officially confirm the decision, political analysts are of the opinion that it would be a surprising turn of global diplomacy. New Delhi made an indication in this regard soon after Field Marshal Munir and Pakistani Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif discussed bilateral issues with President Trump at the Oval Office in the presence of US Vice President James David Vance and Secretary of State Marco Antonio Rubio on September 25, 2025. Later, the US President stressed: “In fact, we have a great leader coming, the Prime Minister of Pakistan coming, and the Field Marshal of Pakistan. The Field Marshal is a very great guy and so is the Prime Minister, both. And they’re coming.” Earlier, President Trump had invited the two Pakistani officials to visit the White House.

As expected, the US President’s move has ignited political discussions around international alignments and strategic power plays in South Asia, keeping in mind the recent armed conflict between Pakistan and India. Analysts believe that India wants to send a strong geopolitical signal to the US by showcasing its ability to engage with any global player, regardless of past controversies. Whether it is a tactical counter or a diplomatic outreach remains to be seen.

Interestingly, India and North Korea have growing trade, as well as diplomatic, relationships. Also, India is one of the biggest trade partners of North Korea and also a major food aid provider. However, New Delhi has repeatedly condemned North Korea for nuclear tests, stating that it poses a serious threat to regional security.

While the South Asian nation has an embassy in Pyongyang, North Korea maintains an embassy in New Delhi. In May 2018, General (Retired) Vijaykumar Singh, the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, met Kim Yong-dae, the Vice President of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, to discuss different aspects of bilateral ties. Hence, it is expected that Kim would consider India’s invitation.

Meanwhile, a section of analysts has claimed that India would not invite Kim to visit New Delhi as UN sanctions on North Korea are still in place. They believe that such a move would trigger a fresh controversy as India maintains cordial ties with Japan and South Korea, the two regional rivals of North Korea. According to analysts, Prime Minister Modi is well aware of the fact that such a move would have a negative impact on India’s ties with Japan, South Korea and other global partners.

Meanwhile,

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das