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SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un addressed an unusual pre-dawn military parade on Saturday (October 10), praising troops for working hard to respond to natural disasters and prevent a coronavirus outbreak, reported the state television.
The country marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of its ruling Workers’ Party with a series of concerts and festivals, and the ceremony was seen throughout the region as an event where Kim could convey messages to audiences at home and abroad.
State television began broadcasting an edited video of the event later Saturday after a day of silence about the parade, which took place in Pyongyang’s recently renovated Kim Il Sung Square.
Officials in Seoul and Washington had said that North Korea could reveal new strategic weapons. Initial images from the parade showed conventional troops marching in formation and what appeared to be vehicle ballistic missiles.
People watch a TV newscast of a military parade commemorating the 75th anniversary of the ruling North Korean Workers’ Party, held in Pyongyang, at a Seoul train station on October 10, 2020 (Photo: AFP / Jung Yeon-heh).
The video showed Kim making an appearance when a clock struck midnight. Dressed in a gray suit and tie, he greeted the crowd and accepted children’s flowers while surrounded by military officers with rows of medals.
At times, looking excited, Kim thanked the military for working hard to respond to natural disasters and prevent a coronavirus outbreak.
North Korea has reported no domestic infections, a claim that South Korea and the United States have disputed.
Kim said he hopes North and South Korea will unite again after the coronavirus crisis ends.
While attendees at other holiday events were shown wearing masks, no one in the parade appeared to be wearing masks.
CORONAVIRUS MEASURES
The event comes as the isolated country carries out strict measures against the coronavirus.
State media said the restrictions have caused delays in some of Kim’s key economic and construction projects, which are already hit by international sanctions.
READ: Comment: COVID-19 is stressing North Korea
“It’s an impressively large gathering during a global pandemic, suggesting that North Korean authorities are more concerned with political history and national morale than with preventing a COVID-19 super-spreading event,” said Leif-Eric Easley, who teaches. at Ewha Women’s University in Seoul. .
Earlier in the day, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it saw signs that a parade involving large-scale military equipment and personnel took place in Pyongyang, but did not elaborate.
“The intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States are closely monitoring the developments,” he said.
It was the first time the parade had taken place before dawn.
South Korean officials said this week that Kim could use the event as a “low intensity” show of power ahead of the November 3 US presidential election, as denuclearization talks with Washington have stalled.
For weeks, commercial satellite images have shown thousands of North Korean soldiers practicing the march, and South Korean authorities have said that North Korea could use the parade to unveil a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), or a new launched ballistic missile. from a submarine.
Foreign diplomats in Pyongyang have often been invited to observe past celebrations. But the Russian embassy said on social media that this year all diplomatic missions were recommended “to refrain as much as possible” from traveling around the city, approaching the event site and taking photos and videos.
The last time North Korea broadcast a military parade live on television was in 2017, when it showed many large ICBMs amid increased tension with the United States.
ICBMs were exhibited once again in February 2018, but the international media were not allowed to observe them. 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 anniversary, Chinese President Xi Jinping said he intended to “defend, consolidate and develop” ties with North Korea, state media said on Saturday.
