World
N. Korea ready for ‘any’ U.S. war, leader tells anniversary parade
Clad in all black, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Un said Saturday his country could fight any war provoked by the United States, as he presided over a vast military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party. His words were met with rapturous applause from tens of thousands of flag-waving spectators, while above the square, a large banner slung from a gas-filled balloon read: “Long live the invincible Workers’ Party of Korea.”
It is a message to the world…but also intended for a domestic audience, it reinforces Kim Jong Un’s military credentials.
Ali Bunkall, Sky News Defence Correspondent
Goose-stepping soldiers marched through Kim Il Sung Square in the capital, Pyongyang, on Saturday afternoon to kick off a parade showcasing the impoverished country’s military might. The carefully choreographed spectacle is being watched by foreign delegates and journalists, who predict it will be a chance for North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un to show off the country’s growing fleet of drone aircraft, long-range missiles and other weaponry. Crowds of people carrying bouquets of plastic flowers were seen streaming to Kim Il Sung Square. Military vehicles or possibly floats shrouded in blue plastic tarps to protect them against the weather were parked in a long row on a bridge leading to the parade route.
