South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik briefly shook hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday during a military parade in Beijing marking Japan’s World War Two surrender, Reuters reported.

Woo, representing Seoul at the event, has joined President Lee Jae Myung in urging renewed dialogue between the two Koreas, though Pyongyang has rejected recent overtures.

During his trip, Woo also met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who asked if he should convey a message to Kim. Woo replied that fostering peace on the Korean Peninsula remained vital despite strained relations. According to Reuters, several South Korean lawmakers accompanied him on the visit.