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North Korea’s state television showed footage from Saturday’s parade, which apparently took place the night before.
– We will continue to strengthen the army for self-defense and deterrence.Kim promised in a speech to the participants.
The parade was held to mark the 75th anniversary of the ruling North Korean party. That it likely took place at night is unusual, but it may have made it easier to keep secret information about the new weapons that were shown to those who participated in the celebration.
The Federation of American Scientists think tank reports that a very large intercontinental rocket was displayed at the parade.
The missile will be the largest of its kind in the world, according to analyst Ankit Panda, who works in the think tank. Reportedly, there are no large missiles that use liquid fuel and can be transported as road transport.
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.
“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.
New rockets?
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.
Western intelligence says North Korea has continued to develop military missiles despite talks it has had with the United States. Previously, Kim Jong-un announced that several new weapons will be displayed.
The 75th anniversary puts Kim and his party in a position where people expect to see something new and bigger, says Lee Sung-yoon, a Korean researcher at Tufts University in the US.
– Demonstrating the most advanced weapons will be a sign of a breakthrough for the credibility of Pyongyang’s threats, he says.
– 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.
However, he did not believe that the North Korean authorities would do that.
Nozzles and missiles go bad together, in Kazianis.
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.
