PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) – The latest on celebrations in Pyongyang marking the 105th birthday of North Korea’s late founder, Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of current ruler, Kim Jong Un (all times local):
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9:50 a.m. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made an appearance at an immense military parade celebrating the birthday of his late grandfather and North Korea founder Kim Il Sung.
North Korean state television showed Kim, wearing a black suit and white shirt, stepped out of a black limousine and saluted his honor guard before walking down a red carpet.
He then walked up to a podium and clapped with senior government officials to address the thousands of soldiers and a massive crowd taking part in the parade in capital Pyongyang.
South Korean analysts have said that the North might use the parade to showcase its strategic weapons, such as prototype intercontinental ballistic missiles.
In his annual New Year’s address, Kim said that the country’s preparations for an ICBM launch have “reached the final stage.” Analysts say commercial satellite images from recent weeks indicate increased activity around North Korea’s nuclear test site.
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9:39 a.m.
North Korea has started a massive parade in Pyongyang to mark the 105th birthday of its founding father, Kim Il Sung, and trumpet the leadership of third-generation dictator Kim Jong Un.
North Korea’s state television showed thousands of soldiers marching at Kim Il Sung Square on Saturday to kick off the event that is expected to be attended by leader Kim Jong Un.
The parade may feature some of the country’s most valuable military hardware, such as its prototype intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The festivities take place amid concerns that North Korea is possibly preparing its sixth nuclear test in a decade or a rocket launch of significance, such as its first flight test of an ICBM.
Kim, a 30-something leader who took power in late 2011, emphasizes nuclear weapons as the foundation of his national defense strategy.
The country under his watch has been aggressively pursuing a goal of putting a nuclear warhead on an ICBM capable of reaching the continental United States.