No ballistic missile at parade
WEB DESK
North Korea today celebrated the 70th anniversary of the country’s foundation with a scaled-down military parade. The anniversary comes amid a stalemate in denuclearization talks with the United States.
And little progress has been made in realizing Pyongyang’s demand for a declaration of an end to the Korean War.
Analysts believe that, to avoid provoking Washington, a military parade for the anniversary did not feature a ballistic missile. Pyongyang says the rocket could carry a nuclear warhead to the US mainland.
Foreign media covering the event say it did not showcase any intercontinental ballistic missile.
Analysts say Pyongyang might be somewhat cautious about how Washington views the parade, given the deadlock in the denuclearization talks.
And the country’s leader Kim Jong Un did not address the people, unlike the previous parade in February. But Kim did show the strong ties with China by standing on a grandstand with its third-highest-ranking government official, Li Zhanshu.
#NorthKorea parade to celebrate its 70th year of establishment was scaled down, without ICBM and Nuclear themes pic.twitter.com/l8UTsrSZla
— Guy Elster (@guyelster) September 9, 2018
Observers are focused on what message, if any, leader Kim Jong Un will send to the international community about the denuclearization of his country.
The North’s state-run media says Kim started the day visiting the mausoleum of his father and grandfather, a routine when the country has celebrations.
The anniversary celebrations come amid a stalemate in denuclearization talks with the United States. And little progress has been made in realizing Pyongyang’s demand for a formal declaration that the Korean War has ended.
Sunday’s edition of the ruling party newspaper did not mention the country’s nuclear arsenal or the US.
Kim has made 2018 a year of diplomacy, personally meeting with the leaders of China, South Korea and the United States for the first time since taking the reins of his country in 2011. Later this month, Kim will host South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a summit in Pyongyang, another event that could factor into the theme of Sunday’s festivities.