SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korea held a military parade and rally on Kim Il Sung Square on Thursday, just one day before South Korea hosts the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
Kim Jong Un, dressed in a long black winter coat, was shown walking on a red carpet with his wife at the beginning of the event, which North Korea’s state-run television broadcast hours after it was over. It began with thousands of goose-stepping troops lined up in Kim Il Sung Square to form words and slogans. Virtually all foreign media were excluded from the event.
North Korea had said it would hold a big event to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of its military. Feb. 8 has been seen as a less important founding anniversary but made something of a comeback in 2015 and was elevated further this year in part because it is the 70th – a nice round number.
The Olympics probably were also a big factor.
Kim Jong Un has gone out of his way to make sure the North will hold attention throughout the games.