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North Korea has unveiled what appears to be a new ICBM during a major propaganda parade in Pyongyang.
Kim Jong-un promises continued significant investment in defense and a full nuclear mobilization if anyone threatens North Korea.
The occasion of the military parade was the 75th anniversary of the North Korean ruling party, and images on state television show thousands of soldiers without bandages.
The missile, which was shown on television on Saturday, had a mobile launch pad with up to eleven axes.
– The biggest in the world
If it is genuine, it is the world’s largest long-range missile of its kind, according to several analysts.
Among them is Ankit Panda of the American think tank Federation of American Scientists. It says there are no larger missiles that use liquid fuel and can be transported on the highway.
Also read: Kim Jong-un apologizes for brutal incident at sea
– We will continue to strengthen the army for self-defense and deterrence, Kim promised in a speech to participants.
The parade apparently took place the night before.
This is unusual, but may have made it easier to keep secret information about new weapons that were shown to those who attended the celebration.
Good improvement desired
Television images from the parade show soldiers in a rooster march and a military orchestra playing as they move in formation. The musicians formed the symbols of the hammer and sickle party, and the year 1945.
The event was held despite the corona pandemic, which according to North Korean authorities never managed to cross the country’s borders.
Read more: Kim pays tribute to “brilliant” efforts by North Korea’s crown
“I wish a good recovery to all the people of the world who are fighting against this evil virus,” said Kim Jong-un in his speech.
He reiterated the claim that not a single person in North Korea has been infected.
That the parade took place on Saturday night has been confirmed, among others, by the defense leadership in South Korea. They are said to have seen signs of “large crowds and equipment” in Pyongyang at the time.
South Koreans killed
North Korea has worked hard to prevent the coronavirus from entering the country. In September, a South Korean man was shot and burned while trying to swim in North Korean waters.
The man was allegedly killed to prevent infection, and Kim later had to move with a public apology to South Korea. South Korean authorities have concluded that the man likely tried to jump into North Korea.
PARADE: A military parade was held to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the country’s ruling party.
Photo: KRT via AP
– Progress signal
Western intelligence says North Korea has continued to develop military missiles despite talks it has had with the United States. The nuclear talks came to a halt after the summit between Kim and President Donald Trump broke down in Vietnam in February last year.
Kim did not make any direct criticism of the United States during the parade. Instead, he urged his people to stand firm in the face of the challenges posed by the virus and the U.S.-led sanctions against North Korea.
The 75th anniversary put Kim and his party in a position where people expected to see something new and bigger, says Lee Sung-yoon, a Korean researcher at Tufts University in the US.
FIREWORKS: A fireworks show was also broadcast during the military parade.
Photo: – (AFP / NTB)
– Demonstrating the most advanced weapons will be a sign of a breakthrough for the credibility of Pyongyang’s threats, he says.
Also read: South Korea: – North Korea has blown up the cooperation office in the air
– Risk super-distribution
No foreign journalists have been allowed into the country to cover the parade, and most of the international embassies in Pyongyang have closed their doors.
Harry Kazianis, of the Center for National Interest, believes Pyongyang authorities are playing high as the parade takes place amid the pandemic.
“With several thousand in total, they risk turning into a deadly super-spreader event if they don’t take extreme precautions,” he said before the event.
SHOW: It was created for a proper military show.
Photo: – (AFP / NTB)
However, he did not believe that the North Korean authorities would do that.
“Nozzles and missiles go bad together,” Kazianis said.
Television images of the parade showed unusually few people in the plaza where the parade took place, but no spectators with bandages on their faces.
(© NTB)
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