North Korea Celebrated 73rd Anniversary With Large-Scale Night Parade (Photos)

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The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea celebrated its 73rd anniversary with a large-scale ‘paramilitary and public security’ night parade.

The parade was held in early hours on September 9 at Kim Il Sung Square in the capital, Pyongyang.

According to the Korean Central News Agency’s reports, it mainly included military reservists, police officers, factory and health workers and an aerial display by fighter jets.

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An emergency disease prevention unit also marched at the parade, as well as troops on horseback, dog-handing teams etc. Servicemen were followed by military trucks, tanks and artillery pieces.

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The parade was attended by country’s leader Kim Jong Un. However, according to the reports, he did not make any speech. He watched over the parade waving to the soldiers from a balcony. The media emphasized his visibly thinner frame.

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This is said to be the first nighttime parade that was broadcasted on state television.

In his speech at the parade, Ri Il-hwan, a Workers’ Party secretary, urged North Koreans to embrace a “singled-minded unity to overcome the present-day crisis,” the North’s official Korean Central News Agency reported.

The parade did not appear to showcase any new major military equipment, unlike last year in October, when during another night military parade, a previously unseen Pukguksong-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile was demonstrated. Later, in January, the upgraded version of the country’s largest-ever intercontinental ballistic missile was unveiled during another military parade, days before Joe Biden’s inauguration.