North Korea threw a military parade in the middle of the night for its 73rd birthday, and photos show a slimmed-down Kim Jong Un and marchers in hazmat suits
Vanessa Gu
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walks with children during a celebration of the nation's 73rd anniversary at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, on September 9, 2021.Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP
- North Korea threw a parade in the middle of the night to celebrate its 73rd birthday.
- The country's leader, Kim Jong Un, presided over the parade as troops marched on.
- Weapons like rocket launchers and rifles were on display, though ballistic missiles were noticeably missing.
North Korea threw a parade in Pyongyang to commemorate the 73rd founding anniversary of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
n this photo provided by the North Korean government, a huge North Korean flag is displayed during a celebration of the nation’s 73rd anniversary at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, early Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency.
Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP
The military parade in Pyongyang featured a contingent of soldiers wearing orange hazmat suits - likely a display of the country's perceived capability to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean troops wearing gas masks and bright red suits parade during a celebration of the nation’s 73rd anniversary that was overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, early Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency.
Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP
North Korea does not release COVID-19 data, and has long insisted that it has recorded zero cases of the virus.
However, global health experts have disputed this account, and previous reports from outside the country have suggested that there were surges.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over the parade from a balcony. Photos show him wearing a tan Western-style suit, not the Mao suit he usually wears.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, waves from a balcony toward the assembled troops and spectators during a celebration of the nation’s 73rd anniversary at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, early Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency.
Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP
Kim was also looking noticeably slimmer compared to a few months ago, and was pictured walking on a red carpet with two children as officials applauded behind him.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walks with children during a celebration of the nation’s 73rd anniversary at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, early Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency.
Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP
The parade came as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said in July that food shortage in the country was at crisis levels, reported Nikkei Asia.
According to the Council of Foreign Relations, North Korea has the fourth-largest army in the world, with nearly 1.3 million troops.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean soldiers parade during a celebration of the nation’s 73rd anniversary that was overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, early Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency.
Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP
Source: Council of Foreign Relations
Rocket launchers, rifles, and tractors carrying anti-tank missiles were on display at the parade, Al Jazeera reported. Weaponry like ballistic missiles were noticeably missing, however.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean solders on vehicles parade during a celebration of the nation’s 73rd anniversary that was overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, early Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency.
Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP
North Korea has displayed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in previous parades, but they were noticeably absent on Thursday.
Stars and Stripes noted that they were weaponry that would likely enrage the US and South Korea was absent. One expert told the outlet that North Korea may have "wanted to tone down" its military displays "at least for a moment."
North Korea and South Korea restored cross-border communication in July, and Japanese media has reported that the US, South Korea, and Japan plan to meet next week to discuss whether the US could reopen dialogue with North Korea to get it to denuclearize.
Source: Al Jazeera
This is the third nighttime military parade North Korea has staged in the past year, Bloomberg reported. Having the parade at night reportedly makes it more challenging for spy satellites to get data on the country's military hardware.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean troops parade during a celebration of the nation’s 73rd anniversary that was overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, early Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency.
Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP
Source: Bloomberg
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