North Korea on Friday staged a military parade in its capital Pyongyang to mark the 80th anniversary of the creation of its ruling Workers' Party, Xinhua news agency reported.

Premier Li Qiang attended the celebration ceremony and watched "grand mass gymnastics, artistic performances and military parades", according to Xinhua.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un praised Li's visit as "showing the invariable support and special friendly feeling" towards his party, the government and his people, state news agency KCNA said.

Kim also lauded Beijing's efforts to maintain "traditional Democratic People's Republic of Korea-China friendly and cooperative relations and further develop them", KCNA reported.

On the sidelines of the event, Premier Li also talked with Vietnamese leader To Lam and Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev.

Last month, Kim appeared alongside President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin at an elaborate military parade in Beijing. (Xinhua, AFP)