Kim Jong-un shows off weapons to Russian, Chinese officials at Victory Day parade

 

North Korea Friday put up a massive military show as it paraded its high-tech weapons including nuclear-capable intercontinental missiles, tactical weapons, and modern assault drones in a Victory Day parade attended by the country’s leader Kim Jong Un and Russian and Chinese officials in Pyongyang.

The parade was anticipated as the country celebrated the end of the Korean War, remembering it as a Victory Day for its forces on its 70th anniversary.

Since the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was the first senior defence official from the country to visit North Korea. The Chinese delegation was the first since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last year, China and Russia distanced themselves from the nuclear-capable weapons — prohibited by the UN Security Council — that were being showcased at the military parade indicating a stark contrast between their current policy towards North Korea.

Kim Jong-un, Shoigu, and Chinese Communist Party Politburo member Li Hongzhong talked, laughed, and saluted as troops marched with weapons rolled past, photographs and footage aired by North Korean media.

The parade included North Korea's latest Hwasong-17 and Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), KCNA reported. 

Their range is said to be thousands of kilometers, capable to strike anywhere in the United States.

The event also featured a flyover by new attack and spy drones.

Kim hosted a reception and lunch with Shoigu and vowed solidarity with Russia's people and military. Shoigu praised the North Korean military as the strongest in the world, and the two discussed strategic security and defence cooperation, according to KCNA.

In another meeting, Minister Shoigu read a "warm letter" from Russian President Vladimir Putin who thanked North Korea for its support during the "special military operation" in Ukraine.

The US alleged North Korea of providing weapons to Moscow for its special military operation in Ukraine. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said Thursday that the US was "incredibly concerned" about their ties.

North Korea and Russia have denied conducting any arms transactions.

North Korean Defence Minister General Kang Sun Nam, in a speech at the parade, accused the US and its allies of increasing tension in the region.

North Korea has been under UN sanctions for its missile and nuclear programmes since 2006. It is banned from developing ballistic missiles.

In recent years Russia and China opposed US-led efforts to impose more sanctions on North Korea over its missile program, arguing “existing measures should be eased for humanitarian purposes and to help entice it to negotiate.”

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said: "All members of Security Council and, frankly, all member states of the UN, share the same responsibility to uphold Security Council resolutions."