North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang—North Korean leader Kim Jong Un led a huge military parade in Pyongyang late Friday night. It was both a celebration of the 80th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea and a powerful show of the country’s rapidly growing nuclear weapons. State-run media stated on Saturday that a high-level group of foreign dignitaries, mostly from China, Russia, and Vietnam, attended the ceremony. This shows how Pyongyang’s strategic relationships are getting stronger.
The Hwasong-20 ICBM is now public.
The main event during the military hardware display was the unveiling of the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) called it the country’s “most powerful nuclear strategic weapon system.”
The Hwasong series of ICBMs are meant to provide North Korea the ability to hit targets all over the continental United States. The Hwasong-20 is a “next-generation” missile that runs on solid fuel. It is thought to have a range of up to 15,000 kilometers, which would put all of the U.S. within range. People also think it can carry more than one warhead, which might make missile defense systems far more difficult to use and even more powerful.
There is still some uncertainty. Defense specialists are still skeptical regarding the missile’s operational state, especially its guidance system’s capacity to ensure accuracy and the warhead’s ability to endure the high heat and stress of atmospheric re-entry.
There were other ceremonies on Thursday to honor the party’s founding, and the march took place in Kim Il Sung Square.
A Show of Unity with Moscow and Beijing as a Geopolitical Signal
The presence of high-ranking officials from North Korea’s most important allies made the gathering even more important from a geopolitical point of view. It seemed like a tighter bloc was forming against the U.S.-led West. Foreign officials who came were:
Li Qiang, the Prime Minister of China
A group of Russians, led by Dmitry Medvedev, who used to be president of Russia and is now the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council.
To Lam is the head of Vietnam’s Communist Party.
The show of solidarity comes after Kim shared the stage with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a military parade in Beijing last month.
Kim’s acknowledgment of “overseas operations” and ties to Russia
Kim Jong Un made a scary speech at the parade that gave his military more power. He gave North Korean forces engaging in “overseas operations” “warm encouragement.” He also said that the military’s bravery would be seen not only in defending North Korean land but also in “outposts of socialist construction.”
Strengthening the Alliance: This statement strongly suggests that North Korean soldiers will continue to be sent to help Russia in its war effort, and that this will be made public. On Friday, Kim met with Dmitry Medvedev of Russia. KCNA said that Medvedev hailed the “courage and sacrifice” of North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia in the Kursk region, saying their efforts “proved the unshakable nature of the fraternal bonds” between the two countries.
Strengthening Cooperation: Kim informed Medvedev that he plans to keep working with Russia to accomplish similar goals through “diverse exchanges.” This will strengthen the strategic alignment between Pyongyang and Moscow.