North Korea held a nighttime military parade at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on the evening of the 14th, showing off its new short-range submarine-launched ballistic missiles, which the official media touted as the world’s most powerful weapons. Photo
North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong-un will not miss this opportunity as the United States is about to change its dynasty. The foreign news agency reported that Kim Jong-un was appointed as general secretary after the 8th Party Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea, and Pyongyang held a grand military parade in the evening of the 14th. Kim Jong-un also said he would further strengthen his nuclear arsenal, while saying that the United States is the biggest enemy and that sanctions must be lifted if normal relations are to be established, no matter who comes to power.
The grand night parade took place at about 6 p.m. local time as North Korea concluded its eight-day party congress. Kim Jong Un showed his hostility toward the United States, calling Washington Pyongyang’s main enemy and saying that no matter who is in power in the country, the true intentions of U.S. policy toward North Korea will not change.
Kim Jong-un let it be known at the congress that the country’s strong defense capabilities will never get in the way of diplomacy, but rather are an important means of moving in the right direction and ensuring success. The implication is that there is no intention to give up nuclear weapons, and not only that, he vowed at the congress to strengthen the nuclear arsenal and build new weapons, including nuclear-powered submarines.
Sure enough, new short-range submarine-launched ballistic missiles appeared at the military parade on the evening of the 14th, according to photos released by official media showing leader Kim Jong-un, dressed in full fur, watching the parade in front of Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang and smiling and waving from time to time. The parade included soldiers marching in sequence with a range of military equipment, including tanks and rocket launchers, before what analysts said were new short-range ballistic missiles, loaded on trucks and driven into the square.
North Korean official media touted the new missiles as “the most powerful weapons in the world,” but did not elaborate further. But Kim Jong Un said the key to a new relationship between North Korea and the United States is for the United States to withdraw its hostile policy toward the North.
Neighboring South Korea is closely watching North Korea’s every move, and earlier Thursday, the South Korean military closely monitored the North’s march. South Korea has called out North Korea in the hope of resuming talks, but on the other hand, authorities in Seoul have increased defense spending to counter potential threats.
North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un (center) attends a nighttime military parade on the 14th, confident that the U.S. is his greatest enemy and that he will work to build up North Korea’s nuclear arsenal in response. Photo
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