The North Korea has hyped up the festive mood and promoted the accomplishments of its leader Kim Jong-un ahead of the anniversary. The North's young leader resided over the largest-ever parade held at Kim Il-sung Square with thousands of soldiers marching across the square.
North Korea has spared no effort to prepare for the parade to demonstrate its military prowess at a time when the country has advanced its capacity to develop missiles and nuclear weapons. South Korea's Unification Ministry had said Tuesday that the North might showcase submarine-launched ballistic missiles, which it has claimed successfully fired in last May, or a road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile during the parade.
Military experts say what is of special interest is whether North Korea would display its Taepodong-2 long-range missile or its new road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile, known as the KN-08, during the parade. North Korea did not launch what it calls "a series of satellites" before the anniversary, but analysts said there is still a chance that the North could go ahead with the launch within this year. The North has claimed that it has the right to launch satellites for peaceful space development, but outside experts view the North's move as a cover for ballistic missile tests.
The North's key anniversary also draws attention as it could serve as a test of diplomacy for the North's young leader. Kim held talks with Liu Yunshan, who ranks fifth in China's ruling Communist Party hierarchy, on late Friday, amid strained relations between Pyongyang and Beijing.
Liu, who arrived in Pyongyang on Friday for a four-day visit to attend the parade, called for an early resumption of the long-stalled six-party talks aimed at the denuclearization of North Korea, according to China's Xinhua news agency. Relations between China and its long-time ally, North Korea, have remained frayed since the North's third nuclear test in February 2013.
YNA/MNA