North Korea I host on October 10 a to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party. The event, held in Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square with senior international leaders in attendance, was used by the Kim Jong-Un regime to demonstrate its growing military power and ratify his .
Kim Jong-Un presided over the ceremony accompanied by high-profile figures, such as the Chinese prime minister, Li Qiang; former Russian president and current vice president of the Russian Security Council, Dmitri Medvedev; and the leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam, To Lam. This lineup of guests reinforces the perception of a consolidation of the bloc between Pyongyang, Moscow and Beijing.
During the parade, the new Hwasong-20described as “the most powerful strategic nuclear weapons system” of the country and has raised some suspicions in South Korea about a hypothetical Russian involvement.
He transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) vehicle for the Hwasong-20 missile has a different design than the Hwasong-19which was first released in October of last year. It is this difference that has generated speculation about a possible Russian collaboration in the development of the new long-range missile.
Asked about this during a parliamentary control session, General Jin Yong-sung, head of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), stated that he considered that “there is a substantial probability” that such assistance has taken place, .
In general, the images broadcast by state media showed long columns of missiles mounted on special vehicles parading in a light rain, while thousands of attendees waved North Korean flags. They were also observed drone launchers and other shorter range missiles.
“The invincible North Korean army has always redoubled its efforts to help our party overcome difficulties and accelerate the arrival of a bright future.”said Kim Jong-Un in his speech, in which he also paid tribute to the North Korean troops who, according to him, fight abroad “for international justice”, in reference to their support for Russia in the war in Ukraine.
“He heroic fighting spirit demonstrated by our armed forces revolutionaries on foreign battlefields […] has demonstrated its ideological and spiritual perfection,” the leader proclaimed.
An alliance that strains the West
Thousands on the frontespecially in the Russian Kursk region, temporarily occupied by Ukraine in the summer of 2024. Seoul also accuses Pyongyang of in exchange for advanced military technology, as well as Russian.
“It is crucial to consider this parade not as an isolated event, but as the culmination of a deliberate and structural change in regional geopolitics“warns Seong-Hyon Leeresearcher at Harvard University, in statements to AFP. “It is a clear warning that the growing alliance between Seoul and Washington will clash with a consolidated and powerful trilateral bloc at the gates of the region“he adds.
North Korea remains under strict UN sanctions for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programsbut growing military cooperation with Russia and diplomatic support from China strengthen its position vis-à-vis the West.
