North Korea held a large-scale military parade Friday night in Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party.
The event featured a full display of the country’s expanding strategic and conventional weapons arsenal, with leader Kim Jong Un delivering a defiant address before senior officials and visiting foreign dignitaries.
The parade, the first in more than two years, took place under floodlights and was attended by Russian Federation Security Council Deputy Chairman and ex Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev, among other international guests. It was the latest in a series of nighttime military parades staged since 2020, a format North Korea has continued for all eight major military reviews since the 75th anniversary of the party.
According to state reports, units from the Strategic Missile Force rolled through the square displaying several of the regime’s most advanced weapons, including the new Hwasong-20 intercontinental missile, hypersonic glide missiles, and intermediate-range hypersonic strategic systems. These were followed by formations of long-range cruise missiles, surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missile launchers, and unmanned aerial vehicle carriers.
Armored formations featuring modern main battle tanks identified as “Chonma-20,” 155mm self-propelled howitzers, and 600mm multiple rocket launchers also drove past the reviewing stand. A contingent described as an “overseas operations unit” appeared in the parade, which outside observers believe refers to forces reportedly deployed earlier this year to Russia’s Kursk region to support operations there.
In his address, Kim praised the Workers’ Party for “continuously bringing benefits to the people” and vowed to “keep building North Korea into the world’s best socialist paradise.” He called on the Korean People’s Army to “strengthen its invincible power capable of eliminating all threats and defending the nation’s right to self-defense,” emphasizing that the country must rely “only on strength and victory to safeguard sovereignty and eternal achievements.”
“The army must grow through political thought and military technology that overwhelm the enemy,” Kim said. “On overseas battlefields, our soldiers have displayed heroic fighting spirit and achieved victories.” He pledged that the ruling party and government would “firmly oppose injustice and hegemony with strong revolutionary armed forces” and “fulfill their responsibility in the common struggle of humanity to defend justice and peace.”
Medvedev, in his meeting with Kim earlier in the day, reportedly said that “North Korea’s enemies should think twice before worsening relations with Pyongyang,” and expressed gratitude to the North Korean military for “helping Russian forces defeat enemies in the Kursk region.” His comments underscored the growing defense ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, which have intensified amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.