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TOKYO – North Korea on Sunday marked the 70th anniversary of its founding with a parade featuring soldiers, tanks and military equipment, but failed to show inter-continental ballistic missiles likely to reach the United States, according to reports. journalists at the scene.
The parade was more unobtrusive than a previous parade held in February before the start of the Winter Olympics in South Korea, according to journalists at the sceneand even more so than in April 2017, when a parade featuring a series of ballistic missiles exacerbated tensions with the United States.
Nearly half of the parade was devoted to civilian efforts to stimulate the economy, the Associated Press reported, highlighting a major policy change announced by the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, earlier this year to focus on development. economic.
The absence of nuclear-capable missile systems was also considered a conciliatory gesture during a period of intense diplomatic awareness and negotiation.
"This choice alone suggests Kim's intention to highlight the seriousness of his" new strategic line ", announced earlier this year, which focuses on the country's economic development after the completion of the country's nuclear deterrent year last, "said Ankit Panda. and Associate Senior Assistant of the Posture Defense Project at the Federation of American Scientists.
"It also suggests that as long as negotiations are under way, North Korea's nuclear-capable systems will keep a low profile."
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, and Li Zhanzhu, head of the Chinese People's National Congress, greet the crowd. (How Hwee Young / EPA-EFE / REX / Shutterstock)
The parade was organized to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, while the country is officially known, three years after the separation of the Korean peninsula between the United States and the Soviet Union . .
It comes at a sensitive time, as the United States and South Korea attempt to engage the North in a process that, he hopes, will eventually lead to the abandonment of his nuclear arsenal. While South Korean President Moon Jae-in is due to travel to Pyongyang for a summit with his North Korean counterpart from September 18 to 20, talks with the United States have put an end to the next stage.
Washington wants Pyongyang to act decisively to dismantle its nuclear weapons program, but North Korea insists it wants first and foremost the Korean War of 1950-1953 to be over, in order to guarantee its security and to build confidence.
Grace Liu, a researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, California, said the discreet parade aimed to maintain a "relatively civil dialogue" with Seoul and Washington, given the impending visit of Moon next week. .
"Overall, a scaled-up" no escalation "parade supposes that they respect the plan to maintain negotiations with the United States and the Republic of Korea," she said. "Although attempting to divert attention from their nuclear program could mean that they are confident that their nuclear capabilities fulfill their goal of obtaining R.O.K./U.S. at the table. "
The war ended with an armistice but not with a peace treaty. A declaration of end of war would be only a first step towards a possible peace treaty, but many in Washington fear that such a statement could be used to undermine the legitimacy of the presence of US troops in Korea. South.
The choice of 9 September as an anniversary is largely arbitrary, the experts say, since the country announced that it had adopted a new constitution and deployed its flag for the first time in July 1948.
There has been speculation that Chinese President Xi Jinping could make his first trip to Pyongyang for the parade, but he finally sent Li Zhanzhu, leader of the National People's Congress and one of seven members of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress. Politburo of the Communist Party.
Li is held to Kim's right during the parade, noting the marked improvement in relations between neighbors this year, Kim traveling to China three times to meet Xi.
The Chinese president also sent a message expressing "the unwavering policy of the party and the Chinese government to defend, consolidate and develop bilateral relations" between the two countries, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
Later on Sunday, the celebrations will continue with the opening of the so-called Mass Games in North Korea, a synchronized demonstration of gymnastics and dance performed by tens of thousands of people working in unison. The games are being organized for the first time since 2013 and are officially called "Glorious Countries" this year.
Read more:
North Korea celebrates birthday with "mass games"
North Korea and the United States return to the Korean War negotiating table
North Korea Kim hopes for denuclearization during Trump presidency
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