Pyongyang to unveil weapons with nuclear mark at military parade

Pyongyang to unveil weapons with nuclear mark at military parade. October. 07, 2015 08:12. zeitung@donga.com.

North Korea will reportedly unveil military equipment with a mark symbolizing nuclear weapons during a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of its ruling Workers’ Party to demonstrate its possession of nuclear weapons.

“North Korea’s military inspection parade will focus on an event in which it displays all military capabilities of its Army, Navy and Air Forces that Pyongyang can mobilize, and demonstrates its possession of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles in light of the military parades marking the 70th anniversary of War victory by Russia (May) and China (September),” said an informed source on North Korea on Tuesday. In a commentary marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party that was released through the Rodong Sinmun on the day, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claimed, “We should continue to strengthen self-defensive nuclear deterrence.”

The informed source said Pyongyang is preparing for the military parade by mobilizing all of its flagship weaponry, including mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), the Rodong IRBM, and the Scud short-range missile at a site near Pyongyang. In the April 2012 military parade, the North unveiled for the first time the KN-08, a mobile ICBM (max range of 12,000 kilometers).

The North has also mobilized hundreds of military weapons and facilities including military tanks and self-propelled artillery, while conducting exercises to prepare for the military parade. Notably, the latest models of weapons including speed boats, multiple rocket launchers, and unmanned aerial vehicles will reportedly mobilized. “There is a chance the submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) (which was test-fired in May) could make appearance at the military parade," a South Korean defense ministry source said.

Unlike in past military parades, the North is reportedly preparing an event in which dozens of submarines and military boats will maneuver in the Taedong River in Pyongyang. In late last month, the North practiced a performance in which 14 AN-2 airplanes presented the image of number "70" in the air in a bid to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party. This airplane is asymmetric military power designed to allow its elite troops to penetrate an enemy country by flying at low altitude. China presented the image of number "70" by mobilizing helicopters at its military parade marking War victory last month.

Additionally, more than 20,000 North Korean troops are busy exercising for the military parade at a site near Pyongyang since July. The drill is taking place in response to Kim Jong Un’s instruction in February this year “to prepare the largest scale ever military parade” at the Workers Party politburo, the supreme policy decision-making body of the Stalinist country. However, some analysts say that weapons to be mobilized at the military parade are outdated ones that are aged 30 years or older, except some items.

Meanwhile, the North said it has technology to launch a satellite even in bad weather conditions including on snowy days in winter season, indicating that test firing of a long-range missile could take place at year’s end rather than around the anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party. The North’s Tongil Sinbo reported on the day, “The Republic (North Korea) was already adequately prepared in the aspect of science, technology and physical condition to cope with precipitation of snow (when the Unha-3 satellite was launched in December 2012).”