Military: "North Korea's Taeyangjeol to Draw Tens of Thousands in Mass Rally"

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The military authorities expect tens of thousands of participants for the event to be held on the 15th to commemorate the 110th anniversary of North Korean leader Kim Il-sung's birthday (Day of the Sun).

A military official said at a meeting with reporters on the day, "As seen in media reports, many people are coming out and preparing at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang," adding, "It is expected to be a mass rally with more than tens of thousands of people."

Earlier, Voice of America (VOA) reported on the 8th that an analysis of satellite images taken the previous morning by the satellite imagery service Planet Labs showed tens of thousands of people gathered at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang.

Considering the scale of the mobilized crowd, it is estimated that preparations for the event are in the final stages, and the use of various colors such as red and yellow suggests that a more spectacular parade than usual is being prepared.

In response, Joint Chiefs of Staff Public Affairs Officer Kim Jun-rak said at a regular briefing, "Our military is closely tracking and monitoring major facilities and areas, including preparations for key political events in North Korea, while maintaining a firm readiness posture."

In particular, regarding the speculation that North Korea will hold a large-scale military parade to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army (anti-Japanese guerrilla forces) on the 25th, a military official explained, "Preparations for the military parade are currently focused on troops," adding, "It is difficult to predict the timing, but so far, it is proceeding mainly with troop preparations."