PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) – North Korea rolled out intercontinental ballistic missiles and other military hardware at a massive parade on Saturday to celebrate the birthday of the country’s late founder, as third-generation leader Kim Jong Un looked on in delight.
State television showed Kim, wearing a black suit and white shirt, stepping out of a limousine and saluting his honor guard before walking down a red carpet. He then stepped up to a podium and clapped with senior government officials to acknowledge the thousands of soldiers and civilians taking part in the parade at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, the capital.
The festivities, celebrating the 105th birthday of Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Un’s grandfather, took place amid concerns that North Korea is possibly preparing for its sixth nuclear test or a significant rocket launch, such as its first flight test of an ICBM.
State television showed what appeared to be several KN-08 missiles rolled out on trucks at the parade. Military analysts say the missiles could one day be capable of hitting targets as far as the continental United States, although the North has yet to flight test them.
North Korean soldiers paraded large rockets covered by canisters that were rolled out in two different types of transporter erector launcher trucks, or TELs. An official from South Korea’s Defense Ministry couldn’t immediately confirm whether any of the rockets represented a new type of ICBM.