SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – Civil defense forces wearing rifles and personnel wearing gas masks and red suits marched overnight in the North Korean capital in celebration of the nation’s 73rd anniversary , which marked the march of the militaristic exhibitions of the past.
The parade, overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, in a cream dress and visibly thinner than it was earlier this year, focused on paramilitary organizations and public security forces protecting Pyongyang rather than the main military units that they handle Kim’s most important weapons of nuclear arsenal and missiles.
Although the North launched its most provocative strategic weapons threatening Asian rivals and the American homeland during the parades last January and October, there were no immediate indications that the last parade featured ballistic weapons.
Thursday’s state media reports on the event, which began Wednesday afternoon, indicated that its message was aimed at a national audience rather than showing the country’s growing military strength in the United States.
Experts say the reduced event reflected the tough challenges facing North Korea, as its broken and mismanaged economy is strained by endless US-led sanctions, prolonged border closures due to the pandemic and floods that have caused food shortages in recent years.
State media photos showed Kim – smiling widely and saluting from a balcony toward troops and spectators in Kim Il Sung Square, named after his grandfather who founded the nation in 1948. But reports do not they said if Kim made a speech during the event.
The Korea Central News Agency and the Rodong Sinmun newspaper published photos and reports of fighter jets flying in formation over the streets and pieces of artillery dragged by tractors. There were also dog marches and military search personnel wearing gas masks and bright red suits.
There were expectations that North Korea would present missiles and other major weapons to pressure the Biden administration over the diplomatic freeze with the U.S. after Kim failed to take advantage of his arsenal to reap economic benefits during the Trump years.
But the latest parade shows the North is too preoccupied with its internal problems to test provocative messages in foreign policy, said Hong Min, an analyst at South Korea’s Institute for National Unification.
“The parade shows that the government felt the need to build unity at the national level: the population is clearly suffering in the midst of the pandemic and social grievances are likely to be accumulating,” said Hong, who said it was very unusual that the North presented its civil defense units. in a parade.
“North Korea must enforce military discipline by mobilizing its civilians in campaigns to rebuild the economy and flood-damaged areas. There are not many ways for leaders to encourage and motivate them, other than they exhibit them in television parades ”.
Hong said it would be heavy for the North to bear provocative weapons and create diplomatic frictions when it will have to rely on the outside world for coronavirus vaccines.
The Seoul Unification Ministry said 2013 was the last time the North held a parade of the Red Workers-Peas Guards, a national civil defense organization made up of millions of North Koreans between 16 and 70 years, which could be freely compared with the military reserve forces of other countries.
The KCNA described the units of the Pyongyang Red Guard and other regions marching through the square and praised them for their alleged huge contributions in rebuilding communities destroyed by natural disasters and efforts to improve the economy. Protesters also included Ministry of Public Health workers involved in the country’s antivirus campaign, which the KCNA credited with “firmly protecting the security of the country and its people from the global pandemic.”
The KCNA said Ri Il Hwan, a member of the Politburo of the Workers’ Party, delivered a speech during the parade. He said the Northern government will continue to strengthen defense capabilities and “firmly defend the dignity and fundamental interests of our people and solve everything in our own way with our own efforts on the principle of self-sufficiency.”
North Korea usually celebrates major state anniversaries by displaying thousands of troops treading on the goose and its most advanced military equipment in parades in Kim Il Sung Square.
Earlier nightly parades were not broadcast live, but a recorded broadcast was shown on state television hours later. The one on Wednesday night and early Thursday was the third in a row held in the evening, with time for the show.
Amid a stalemate in diplomacy with the United States, Kim and her powerful sister have stressed that North Korea will increase its preventive and deterrent strike capabilities as they demand Washington abandon its “hostile” policies, a reference to fact that the US maintains sanctions and refuses to accept North Korea as a nuclear power.
But experts say Kim faces perhaps her most difficult time as she approaches a decade of rule, with North Korea maintaining a border closure indefinitely to prevent the coronavirus and with no prospects of ending international sanctions.