North Korea showcased intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to reach the United States as part of an unveiling of its latest nuclear arsenal in a massive military parade on Wednesday night.
Its leader, Kim Jong Un, brought his young daughter to the celebration which was held to honor the 75th founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army, according to state media.
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The celebration was held in Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, named after Kim’s grandfather and the nation’s founder. The parade came after Kim met with his top military officers on Monday and ordered an expansion of combat exercises, the Associated Press reported.
Many specific details are unknown, including whether Kim delivered a speech during the event, as independent journalists were not given access to cover the parade, the news outlet reported.
However, North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency said the parade featured a variety of nuclear-capable weapons, including tactical nuclear weapons targeting South Korea.
Last week, North Korea responded angrily to the joint announcement from the U.S. and South Korea that the two allies would increase defensive military exercises aimed at deterring the North.
“The military and political situation on the Korean peninsula and in the region has reached an extreme red-line due to the reckless military confrontational maneuvers,” said a statement issued by North Korea’s Foreign Ministry. “The DPRK has a clear counteraction strategy capable of coping with any short- and long-term scenario attempted by the U.S. and its vassal forces, and will strongly control the present and future potential challenges with the most overwhelming nuclear force.”
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Wednesday night’s event also came about a month after Kim called for an “exponential increase” in his country’s nuclear arsenal in response to what he said were threats from the U.S. and South Korea.
