The spectacle promises to be the most elaborate since Kim Jong Un assumed power after the death of his father, Kim Jong Illinois, in late 2011, and the satellite imagery suggests the military parade could be the country’s biggest ever.
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North Korea’s dictator, Kim Jong-Un, is now preparing for what is expected to be a massive military parade on Saturday, October 10-the anniversary of the founding of his party.
Kim, who is in his early 30s, walked down a red carpet and saluted his honor guard before taking the podium to deliver the often fiery speech.
North Korea maintains its “military-first policy”, which it says is necessary to counter threats from South Korea and the United States, but officials have recently stressed the role of the party in improving the standard of living for the people, who are increasingly aware of how far they lag behind their affluent cousins south of the Demilitarized Zone and in economic giant China. Park, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a senior figure in the Chinese leadership are expected to meet in Seoul later this month.
In a congratulatory message sent to Kim, Xi extended “warm congratulations” to Kim, according to Chinese state-run media.
Pyongyang vehemently rejects allegations of extensive human rights abuses, saying they are part of a US-led smear campaign created to undermine its nuclear-armed socialist regime.
It has always been speculated that North Korea would fire a long-range missile in Dongchang-ri on the west coast near the border with China.
North Korea’s military strategy likely includes operations created to spread chaos and confusion in the event of open war with South Korea. “We’d like to see them use that influence to a better end on the peninsula”. Liu’s visit “enables [the] high-level exchange of views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern, which will be conducive to consolidating and developing the traditional friendship and safeguarding regional peace and stability”, Hua said. Even Yonhap, a South Korean news agency that has previously reported that Kim fed one of his uncles to 120 starved dogs, is reporting that the odds of a rocket launch on Saturday are slim.
Lee Jong-kyu, a research fellow at the Korea Development Institute in Sejong, South Korea, said the North may also seek new revenue by ramping up its exports of manual laborers to places such as Russian Federation and the Middle East, try to boost tourism or build up light industry.
North Korea said at the time that the student’s illegal entry was “a serious violation” of its laws.
In the weeks leading up to the anniversary, North Korean officials hinted at a possible rocket launch to put a “satellite” into space, seen by many other countries as a cover for testing its ballistic missile technology and its readiness to carry out a fourth nuclear test.
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For China, Liu’s visit reflects the delicate balance between its support for an ally and its frustration with Kim. He also assured his family that he was “healthy”.
