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PYONGYANG, North Korea – North Korea organized a major military parade and relaunched its iconic mass games to celebrate its 70th anniversary, but according to the new policy of leader Kim Jong Un, the focus was on economy and not on nuclear weapons.
The North deployed some of its newest tanks and parade its most trained units during Sunday's parade, but delayed its most advanced missiles and devoted nearly half of the civilian effort to building the national economy.
He also brought back the mass games after a hiatus of five years. The games are a big show that brings together nearly 20,000 people in unison to create gigantic mosaics while thousands of others practice gymnastics or dance in training on the competition area of May Day Stadium in Pyongyang.
The emphasis on the economy underscores Kim's strategy since January to put economic development at the center of attention.
Tens of thousands of North Koreans waving brightly colored plastic bouquets filled Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang at the start of the parade. Residents of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, trained for months for the birthday and brandished bouquets to spell the words and slogans visible from the VIP viewing area.
Kim attended the morning parade but did not address the assembled crowd, including the head of the Chinese parliament and high-level delegations from countries with friendly ties to the North.
At the end of the two-hour event, he wandered to the edge of the balcony with Chinese special envoy Li Zhanshu, the third member of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. The two men held their hands together to symbolize the country's traditionally close ties, although Chinese President Xi Jinping's absence may indicate that Beijing still has reservations about Kim's initiatives.
Former statesman Kim Yong Nam, head of the North Korean parliament, gave the parade's relatively mild tone with an opening speech that focused on the regime's economic goals, not its nuclear power. He called on the army to be ready to work to help build the economy.
After a truncated parade featuring tanks and some of North Korea's largest artillery, less than the usual number of missiles and many military units from all branches of the army, many with colorful floats to next to them.
The combination of military and civilian sections is a well-known North Korean parade format.
The two great anniversaries of North Korea's creation, in 2008 and 2013, did not include the Korean People's Army, only the civil defense units, officially known as the Peasant Workers' Red Guards.
Although North Korea runs military parades almost every year and is taking place just before the start of the Olympic Games in South Korea last February, Sunday's parade took place at a particularly sensitive time.
Kim's efforts to ease tensions with President Donald Trump have stalled since their June summit in Singapore. Both parties now insist on a different starting point. Washington wants Kim to commit to denuclearization first, but Pyongyang wants its security to be guaranteed and a peace agreement officially ends the Korean War.
Once again with rising tensions, a parade featuring the missiles that so devastated Trump last year and provoking a violent series of insults by the two leaders could have been considered a deliberate provocation. The North also refrained from immediately televising the event, although the North Korean media came out in force to film it, deploying roadblocks and – probably for the first time – drones equipped with cameras.
"This is an important and very positive statement from North Korea," tweeted Trump. "Thank you to President Kim. We will both prove that everyone is wrong! There is nothing better than a good dialogue between two people who love it! Much better than before I took office.
The North has shown a battery of large pieces of artillery known as self-propelled guns that could be used to threaten Seoul, the capital of South Korea. But the only types of missiles presented were short-range ground-to-ground missiles, a surface-to-air missile and an anti-ship cruise missile.
This is a big departure from the February parade, when it introduced its Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, likely to reach the United States, and a number of other formidable missiles and launchers of elements launch.
Residents of Pyongyang who were unable to attend Sunday's Square walked the streets around the city to applaud and applaud the convoys carrying the troops after completing the parade.
Shortly after the end of the anniversary, Kim will meet in Pyongyang with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss ways to break the stalemate over his nuclear weapons.
The new line of economic development was Kim's first priority this year. He claims to have perfected his nuclear arsenal to deter American aggression and devote his resources to improving the standard of living of his nation.
The economic theme was also an important part of the new routine of mass games, whose tone was much lighter and more entertaining than in previous years, where it tended to be more dramatic and overtly political.
The mass games, dubbed "Shining Homeland", included demonstrations of flying drones in formation, fireworks, lasers, circus performances and, at one point, hundreds of martial arts in taekwondo. Throughout the exhibition, a comment underscored the importance of following Kim's economic and development strategy, while downplaying the role of the military and not mentioning North Korea's nuclear weapons once.
Mass shows are expected to continue over the next month, with tickets for foreigners starting at just over $ 100 and over $ 800 per seat.
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Talmadge is the head of the PA office in Pyongyang. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram: @EricTalmadge
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