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Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – North Korea (North Korea) showed its military strength on Saturday (10/10/20). The South Korean army (South Korea) launched a show of force in a series marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Labor Party in North Korea.
The anniversary, which is celebrated with a series of concerts and festivals, is closely followed throughout the region, as it is seen as an event where leader Kim Jong Un can convey messages to both domestic and foreign audiences. Analysts say North Korea may unveil a new strategic weapon, but state media have not released images or reports of the march.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it saw indications that a parade involving large-scale military equipment and personnel was taking place in the capital, Pyongyang, but did not elaborate.
“There are indications that North Korea is holding a military parade this morning in Kim Il Sung Square, deploying equipment and personnel on a large scale,” he said in a statement, cited by Reuters’ CNBC Indonesia.
Intelligence authorities in South Korea and the United States are monitoring developments, including the possibility of it being a major event. It is the first time the parade has been held in the early hours of the morning and Kim is expected to attend, a military source told Reuters.
“But I will not read too much about the moment for now because we do not know if the state media will report on the march,” said the source, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.
South Korean officials said this week that Kim could use the event as a “low intensity” show of force ahead of the US presidential election in November as denuclearization talks with Washington stalled.
In August, Kim told a major Politburo meeting that the anniversary celebrations should “be prepared to the best possible level in the style of a great political party.”
For weeks commercial satellite images have shown thousands of North Korean soldiers training in marches, and South Korean officials said North Korea could use the parade to discover new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) or new submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
Foreign diplomats in Pyongyang are often invited to attend past celebrations. But the Russian embassy said on social media that this year all diplomatic missions have been recommended “to refrain as much as possible” from traveling around the city, approaching event venues and taking photos and videos.
The incident occurred when the isolated country took strict measures to prevent the Covid-19 virus. State media say the restrictions have caused delays in some of Kim’s major economic and construction projects, which have been hit by international sanctions.
“But this is a large and impressive gathering during the global pandemic, showing that North Korean authorities are more concerned with national political and moral history than with preventing the spread of COVID-19,” said Leif-Eric Easley, who teaches at Ewha Women’s University in Seoul.
The last time North Korea broadcast a military parade live on television was in 2017, when North Korea showed many large ICBMs amid increased tension with the United States.
The ICBM marched again in February 2018, but the international media was not allowed to observe it. Soon after, Kim began meeting with international leaders like US President Donald Trump, and no large missiles have been shown since.
In a congratulatory message to Kim on the birthday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said he intended to “maintain, consolidate and develop” relations with North Korea, state media said on Saturday.
[Gambas:Video CNBC](hps / hps)
