North Korea held a large military parade early on Saturday to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of its ruling Workers’ Party, South Korea’s military has said.
North Korean state media has not shown any signs of a parade, but images were picked up by South Korean intelligence. It was unclear whether the early morning activity was a large parade or a practice. The anniversary is often used to showcase military power.
“There was a sign that North Korea conducted a military parade this morning at Kim Il Sung Square, mobilizing large scale equipment and personnel,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
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“South Korea and US intelligence authorities are closely monitoring developments, including for the possibility that it was the main event.”
Commercial satellite imagery over the last few weeks has shown thousands of North Korean soldiers practicing marching.
Kim Jong Un appeared to attend the parade, in images shown on South Korean TV
Missile launch planned?
International observers have speculated that the anniversary could be the opportunity for leader Kim Jong Un to make a statement domestically or to foreign powers. South Korean officials have also expressed fears the North could use the parade to unveil a new intercontinental ballistic missile, or a new submarine-launched ballistic missile.
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Foreign diplomats in Pyongyang have often been invited to observe past celebrations. But the Russian Embassy said on social media that all diplomatic missions have been advised this year to “refrain as much as possible” from traveling in the city, approaching the event venue or taking photos and videos.
It’s unknown what effect the coronavirus pandemic has had on the highly secretive state. Pyongyang closed its borders eight months ago to try to protect itself from COVID-19, which first emerged in neighboring China, and has yet to confirm a single case.
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