North Korea celebrated its founder's birthday with an extravagant military display
Troop formations, missile displays, and armored vehicles rolled through the massive Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, as the country's current leader, Kim Jong Un, perched on the balcony gave an occasional nod and salute to thousands of his subjects below.
April 15, also known as the "Day of the Sun," remains significant for the reclusive nation - not only to celebrate its deified founder, but for the opportunity to show the world a glimpse of its military power and the latest technological advances in its arsenal.
One of the debuts included the Pukkuksong-2 SLBMs, a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), loaded on trucks, according to Reuters.
The parade comes amid rising tensions between North Korea and the rest of the world, after a week-long series of spats directed toward the US, and a looming possibility of the nation's sixth nuclear test. A carrier strike group led by USS Carl Vinson made its way toward North Korea, in addition to a WC-135 "nuke-sniffer" being deployed to neighboring Japan.
"We are sending an armada, very powerful. We have submarines, very powerful, far more powerful than the aircraft carrier," said President Donald Trump to Fox Business Network on Wednesday.
The North Koreans delivered their own reply late Friday, seemingly ignoring the fleet being stationed in their region.
"We're prepared to respond to an all-out war with an all-out war and we are ready to hit back with nuclear attacks of our own style against any nuclear attacks," said Choe Ryong-Hae, a close aide to Kim Jong Un, according to AFP.
