South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff earlier said it spotted signs that a parade involving large-scale military equipment and personnel took place in the capital Pyongyang
North Korea holds military parade to celebrate 75 years of the ruling Workers’ PartyNorth Korea holds military parade to celebrate 75 years of the ruling Workers’ Party.
North Korea held a military parade to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of its ruling Workers’ Party – as leader Kim Jong Un claimed no citizens had contracted coronavirus.
State television began broadcasting footage on Saturday of a military parade that South Korean authorities said had occurred in the pre-dawn hours earlier in the day.
The North Korean leader said in a speech he was “grateful” that none of his citizens had contracted Covid-19 and that the disease could not be prevented ‘without socialism’.
He also claimed the parade would show the country’s military power as North Korea displayed ballistic missiles at the event for the first time since 2018.
The 75th anniversary, celebrated with a raft of concerts and festivals, was closely watched around the region as it was seen as an event where leader Kim Jong Un could deliver messages to domestic and foreign audiences.
For weeks commercial satellite imagery has shown thousands of North Korean soldiers practicing marching, and South Korean officials have said the North could use the parade to unveil a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), or a new submarine-launched ballistic missile.
