North Korea is preparing for a large-scale military parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party, and satellite imagery indicates it will showcase military power on a scale comparable to China's recent Victory Day celebrations.
Leader Kim Jong Un, who recently attended China's events alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, plans to highlight North Korea's military strength on Oct. 10.
The move is seen as an attempt to strengthen his position in negotiations with the United States, according to SI-Analytics, which released its satellite analysis of the preparations on Wednesday.
The parade is expected to feature North Korea's new Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile, along with cruise missiles, new tanks, and advanced drones, including electronic warfare and tactical attack drones integrated with artificial intelligence.
Russia has confirmed that Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council and a former Russian president, will attend. It is also likely that a senior member of China's Politburo Standing Committee will participate, continuing a tradition of high-level Chinese attendance at major North Korean exhibitions.
Earlier this month, Xi pledged to strengthen ties with North Korea, telling Kim Jong Un in a congratulatory message marking the 77th anniversary of the country's founding that Beijing is ready to enhance strategic communication.
According to China's official Xinhua news agency, Xi said China is willing to maintain close cooperation with North Korea to promote both regional stability and global peace and development.
Meanwhile, an AI-assisted analysis of Pyongyang shows that preparations are already well underway for the October parade.
Satellite images show large-scale activity at Mirim Airfield, where around 700 vehicles — believed to be North Korean "Seongri" series trucks — are assembled. This suggests that at least 14,000 personnel may participate in the parade.
Other visible preparations include the reconstruction of a reviewing stand modeled after Kim Il Sung Square and paving work at the event grounds. These activities were first identified in May, when about 250 buses and trucks were detected.
North Korea typically begins preparations two to three months before parades, but this buildup has been ongoing for at least five months, indicating the scale of the event.
Weapons systems featured in parades are usually kept in equipment depots. Although they were not rolled out for the Sept. 9, 2023, parade, recent satellite images show an increase in tire tracks around the depots, suggesting that new systems will appear this October.
Rehearsals for mass dances have also been observed at Kim Il Sung Square since August. Reports suggest preparations are underway for a mass gymnastics performance similar to "Arirang," which once involved about 100,000 participants.
The performances, criticized internationally for abusive training practices, were officially discontinued in 2013 but revived under different names between 2018 and 2020 during state visits by foreign leaders, including Xi Jinping.
Large numbers of vehicles and stage installations have been seen at the May Day Stadium, historically the site of "Arirang." During rehearsals, participants have been observed forming the phrase "Strong Nation," signaling the propaganda themes likely to be emphasized during the upcoming event.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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