On Tuesday, South Korea’s military said it is keeping a close watch on North Korea amid speculation that it is preparing for a new military parade to showcase its expanding nuclear and missile capabilities.
Colonel Kim Jun-rak, the spokesperson for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the South Korean and the United States (US) militaries are “thoroughly following and monitoring North Korean preparations for large-scale events such as a military parade in connection with the North’s internal schedule.”
While the official did not specify what the allied militaries have seen or when they expect the parade, commercial satellite imagery showcased North Korean troops preparing for a likely military parade, according to two organisations that track the country.
Satellite imagery by Planet Labs showed “dozens of military trucks and at least 14 groups of about 300 soldiers each” inside the Mirim military parade training grounds on August 30. Similarly, the Yonhap news agency quoted military sources saying that around 10,000 troops were observed in Pyongyang earlier.
“Practice for big parades generally begins one to two months in advance (sometimes more),” the US-based 38 North programme said in a tweet last Thursday, citing a satellite photo that showed troop formations at Mirim Parade Training Ground in Pyongyang.
There has been speculation that this next military parade could be held as early as Thursday when North Korea celebrates the 73rd anniversary of the country’s founding. Another significant date on the North Korean calendar that troops could be preparing for is October 10, the 76th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party.
In the last military parade in January, when Pyongyang celebrated the closure of a rare Workers’ Party congress, the country put on display its new missiles that are being developed to be fired from submarines. During the parade, leader Kim Jong-un pledged to expand his nuclear weapons programme in the face of hostility with the US.
In recent months, North and South Korea have made considerable progress in thawing relations that have mostly remained hostile since the Korean War. In July, the two sides reconnected hotlines across the demilitarised zone after nearly 14 months. In addition, there have been talks to reopen a joint liaison office that Pyongyang demolished last year and to hold a joint summit.
However, these reconciliation initiatives were dealt a blow as South Korean troops began training with the US military last month. The drills involved combined command post training focused on computerised simulations to prepare the militaries of the two allies for various battle scenarios, such as a surprise North Korean attack.
Furthermore, on Tuesday, the Workers’ Party’s Politburo promoted General Pak Jong Chon, an influential figure in shaping the country’s ballistic missile programme, as the newest member of its powerful presidium, which consists of Kim Jong-un and four other top officials.
South Korea Closely Watching North Amid Hints of Military Parade
South Korea’s military said it is closely monitoring North Korea amid speculation that Pyongyang is preparing to hold a new military parade to showcase its growing nuclear and missile capability.
September 8, 2021
SOURCE: CNN