North Korean leader stages military parade, shows off new missile

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has held a large military parade showcasing a new intercontinental ballistic missile in front of several foreign guests.

Source: Reuters, citing North Korea's state news agency KCNA

Details: The parade, which began late on the evening of 10 October, marked the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea and continued the celebrations that had started on Thursday.

Among the foreign guests who arrived in Pyongyang for the anniversary were Chinese Premier Li Qiang, a Russian delegation led by former President Dmitry Medvedev and Vietnam's Communist Party Head Tô Lâm.

At the military parade, nuclear-armed North Korea displayed its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-20, which KCNA described as the country's "strongest nuclear strategic weapon system".

Reuters noted that the Hwasong series of intercontinental ballistic missiles gives North Korea the ability to strike anywhere across the United States, though questions remain about the accuracy of its guidance system and the warhead's ability to withstand re-entry into the atmosphere.

Kim delivered a speech during the parade in which he expressed his "warm encouragement" to North Korean troops participating in overseas operations, adding that the heroism of their forces would be evident not only in the defence of North Korea but also in the "outposts of socialist construction".

"Our army should continue to grow into an invincible entity that destroys all threats," he said.

Reuters also reported that on Friday Kim held talks with Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, who stated that the sacrifice of North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine proves the trust between the two countries.

Kim told Medvedev that he hopes to continue strengthening cooperation with Russia and work closely in various fields to achieve common goals.

Background:

• During a meeting with Kim Jong Un, Russian leader Vladimir Putin mentioned North Korean soldiers who had been killed in Russia's war against Ukraine and stated that Russia would "never forget North Korea's participation in the fight against modern neo-Nazism".
• Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service stated that North Korea currently provides between 35% and 50% of Russia's ammunition needs.

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