SEOUL: North Korea’s Kim Jong Un oversaw a major military parade showcasing his most advanced weaponry to mark the 75th founding anniversary of the country’s armed forces, state media said Thursday (Feb 9).
The parade, held the evening of Feb 8 in Pyongyang’s central Kim Il Sung Square, featured fireworks, military bands and uniformed soldiers marching in unison to spell out “2.8” and “75”, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.
Wearing a black coat and fedora – a style of dress also favoured by his grandfather and North Korea’s founding leader Kim Il Sung – Kim attended the parade with his wife, Ri Sol-ju, and daughter Ju Ae, state media photographs showed.
Images showed the top leader walking along a red carpet to inspect rows of soldiers holding bayonets, and standing flanked by his top generals, saluting as troops and missile units parade past.
The nuclear-armed country stages military parades to mark important holidays and events, which are closely monitored by observers for clues about the reclusive regime’s progress on its banned ballistic and nuclear weapons.