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North Korea Holds Nighttime Military Parade, Shows Off Latest Missiles

By William Gallo April 26, 2022

North Korea displayed its largest-known ballistic missiles and other advanced weapons at a nighttime military parade overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, the country's state media reported Tuesday.

At the parade in central Pyongyang late Monday, Kim vowed to strengthen his country's nuclear capabilities at the "fastest rate," according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim, who has gradually increased tensions with the United States and its allies, said any country who attempts military confrontation with North Korea will be destroyed.

"Our basic mission regarding nuclear power is to deter war but our nuclear weapons cannot be confined solely within the boundaries of preventing a war until a situation is created that we never hope to witness in this land," Kim said.

Kim, who wore a dressy white military uniform with gold and red ornamentations, marched alongside his wife, Ri Sol Ju, at the parade, which was meant to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean army.

According to photos posted by KCNA, the parade featured some of the country's most advanced missiles, including the Hwasong-17, its largest-known ICBM.

However, the still photos suggest the only new weapon unveiled at the parade was a solid-fuel, submarine-launched ballistic missile, which analysts said appeared slightly longer than previous versions.

It is not clear what other weapons were displayed, since the parade has not yet been shown on North Korean state television. State TV typically covers such events the following afternoon or evening.

Last month, North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time since 2017. U.S. officials have said they expect North Korea to soon conduct another long-range missile launch or even a nuclear test, which would significantly raise regional tensions.

North Korea has been systematically working through a wish list of strategic weapons laid out last year by Kim. The list includes tactical nuclear weapons, hypersonic missiles, and ICBMs that can carry multiple warheads.

North Korea has several possible motivations for testing missiles, including shoring up domestic political support, ensuring the performance of new weapons, demonstrating deterrence, and provoking the United States and its allies.

Many analysts expect North Korea to continue to create a sense of crisis on the Korean Peninsula in the coming months, to gain leverage for future negotiations with the United States.

"No matter how much political, economic, diplomatic incentives might be given to the North Korean regime, there's no good way of reducing the obsession of the leadership in North Korea with nuclear warheads and long-range missiles as the best and most reliable means of its own security and survival," said Bong Young-shik with Yonsei University's Institute for North Korean Studies.

North Korea has rejected invitations by U.S. officials to resume nuclear talks. Negotiations between Kim and former U.S. President Donald Trump broke down in 2019 over disagreements on how to pace sanctions relief with steps to dismantle North Korea's nuclear program.