North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un rolled out his nuclear-armed military’s most powerful weapons, including a new intercontinental ballistic missile he may be preparing to test in coming weeks, at a massive military parade attended by foreign leaders.
The parade, which began Friday night and marked the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party, highlighted Mr Kim’s growing diplomatic footing and his relentless drive to build an arsenal that could viably target the continental United States and his rivals in Asia.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said the parade featured a new, yet-to-be-tested intercontinental ballistic missile called the Hwasong-20, which it described as the “most powerful nuclear strategic weapons system”.
Other weapons on display included shorter range ballistic, cruise and supersonic missiles, which the North previously described as capable of delivering nuclear strikes against targets in rival South Korea.
In a speech at the parade, Mr Kim said his military “must continue to evolve into an invincible force that eliminates all threats”, but made no direct mention of Washington or Seoul, according to comments published by KCNA.
Mr Kim had earlier vowed to transform North Korea into “the best socialist paradise in the world”.
In practice, North Korea has been ruled by Kim’s family for all of those 80 years. It remains one of the world’s poorest countries based on GDP per capita and ranks 118th out of 127 nations on the Global Hunger Index, with around one in five children suffering stunted growth due to malnutrition.
Nonetheless, the North Korean dictator celebrated the party’s leadership on Thursday night, portraying it as a revolutionary force that has built a “powerful socialist state” despite wars, sanctions, and global isolation.
He credited the party with developing nuclear capabilities – which he said were designed to deter the US – and steering the country through several “transformations”. According to Rodong Sinmun, Mr Kim said: “The past 80 years were really complicated and arduous, yet worthwhile and glorious.”
He said: “Our party cannot exist apart from the people… the party is great as the people are great.”
North Korean state media released images of a large celebration at Pyongyang’s sprawling May Stadium on Thursday. South Korean military analysts predict that the main event, a massive parade in the capital, could take place Friday night, featuring tens of thousands of participants.
Analysts suggest that North Korea could showcase its next-generation Hwasong-20 ICBM, the new Hwasong-11 Ma hypersonic glide vehicle, and other advanced weapons systems. North Korean military parades are closely watched as platforms to display the country’s latest missiles and weaponry, much of which has been developed in violation of UN Security Council sanctions.
“Historically, there has been no such country in the world as ours, which had to carry out so many tasks … for national defence and construction, even as it was facing constant and tenacious pressure, interference and threats of aggression by outside forces,” Mr Kim reportedly claimed during his speech. “Our party and government are still coping with our adversaries’ ferocious political and military moves of pressure by pursuing harder-line policies, holding fast to firm principles and employing brave, unflinching countermeasures.”
He urged continued perseverance, saying a few more years of effort could “change our life remarkably”, without providing specifics on how his regime plans to better the lives of ordinary North Koreans.
According to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Mr Kim said: “I will surely turn this country into a more affluent and beautiful land and into the best socialist paradise in the world.”
North Korea’s 80th Workers’ Party anniversary was attended by top officials from China, Russia, Vietnam, and Laos. Chinese premier Li Qiang, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, and Vietnam’s Communist Party leader To Lam took front-row seats as Mr Kim launched Thursday’s celebrations with mass games and artistic performances.
According to CNN, amid enthusiastic flag-waving, North Korea presented a vibrant mix of traditional and patriotic songs alongside meticulously choreographed dances performed by thousands, including uniformed children. Soldiers reportedly performed martial arts, breaking cinder blocks on their stomachs, and the event ended with a grand fireworks display.
Earlier this month, speaking at a weapons exhibition in Pyongyang, Mr Kim accused the US and its allies of intensifying military activities in the region. The US, Japan and South Korea hold regular joint drills in the region, which they say are necessary to prepare defences and offer a deterrent to the unpredictable and dangerous leadership in Pyongyang.
“In direct proportion to the build-up of US forces in Korea, our strategic interest in the region has also increased, and we have accordingly allocated special assets to key targets of interest,” Kim said, according to KCNA.
“The US–ROK nuclear alliance is making rapid progress, and they are conducting various kinds of exercises to execute dangerous scenarios,” Mr Kim said, referring to South Korea by its formal name, the Republic of Korea. “The enemy … will have to worry about which direction their security environment is moving in,” he added, without elaborating on the nature of the “special assets”.
Mr Kim recently joined a military parade in Beijing alongside Chinese president Xi Jinping and Russian president Vladimir Putin, marking the anniversary of the end of World War II.
Following the breakdown of denuclearisation talks with the US in 2019, Pyongyang has declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear power, firmly rejecting any prospect of giving up its atomic arsenal.
(With additional inputs from agencies)
