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Saturday 10th October 2020
On the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Labor Party, thousands of soldiers march in a military parade in North Korea. In his speech, the ruler Kim Jong Un thanks the soldiers for their work against the corona virus and admits that his compatriots have failed.
North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un apologized for the difficult living conditions in the country during an unusual appearance at a nightly military parade. He was ashamed that he could not adequately return the enormous confidence of the population, said Kim, who seemed shaken at times. “My efforts and dedication weren’t enough to lift our people out of their difficult living conditions,” he said in a video shown on state television. He blamed international sanctions, hurricanes and the coronavirus for the problems.
At the celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Labor Party, thousands of soldiers marched at a goose step, as television images showed. Kim, dressed in a gray suit and tie, delivered his speech at a podium in Kim Il Sung Square, which was brightly lit. It was midnight when he went on stage. The speech was repeatedly interrupted by cheers from the masses and applause. Some soldiers and civilians wept. No one wore a mask to protect themselves against the coronavirus.
The military parade saw long-range ballistic missiles for the first time since 2018, when Kim first met with US President Donald Trump. Kim, who was surrounded by officers decorated with medals at his appearance and received flowers from children, announced that the country will continue to develop its defense and deterrence capabilities. According to experts, among the missiles on display were a large special ICBM and several new anti-submarine missiles.
The missile is believed to be able to fly farther than the North Korean Hwasong-15 missile, which has a range of more than 12,800 kilometers. However, it appears that the new missile cannot carry multiple warheads.
At a party meeting in late 2019, Kim Jong Un threatened that the world would see a “new strategic weapon” in his country in the near future. It also stated at the time that Pyongyang was no longer subject to its moratorium on testing atomic bombs and ICBMs. The background to this is the faltering nuclear negotiations between the communist leadership and the United States. Since the failed summit between the two countries in Vietnam in February 2019, the talks have not advanced.
Kim thanked the country’s soldiers for their efforts against natural disasters and the coronavirus. He is grateful that not a single North Korean has contracted the virus, an assessment that South Korea and the United States doubt. Kim said he hoped North and South Korea would unite again after the crown crisis ended.
In late September, North Korea had confirmed that it had killed a South Korean as part of its measures against the corona virus. Kim had written to the President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, that the incident should not have happened.
