North Korea to Stage Massive Military Parade Next Month,Intelligence Suggests
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) assesses that North Korea is preparing a large-scale military parade for October,potentially involving 10,000 troops,as preparations intensify for the 75th anniversary of the contry’s founding. The event is expected to showcase the nation’s military capabilities and comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula.
This planned display of force occurs as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has recently embarked on a diplomatic tour of Russia and is anticipated to visit China, signaling a shift towards multilateral diplomacy. While the NIS believes Kim’s outreach is intended to demonstrate North Korea’s importance to these major powers, it cautions that sustained trilateral cooperation between the three nations is unlikely in the immediate future. The agency also indicated North Korea is currently not actively seeking dialogue with the United States, but may attempt to create opportunities for contact by observing the U.S.’s response to Kim’s diplomatic efforts.
The NIS further stated that a meaningful shift in inter-Korean relations is not anticipated following Kim’s visits, and that the need for policy changes or restructuring within South Korea to address the situation is considered relatively low at this time.
Cho young-bin and Yeom Yoo-seop reported for the Hankook Ilbo.
