Kim Chairman, in Hiding for Over a Month, May Appear on Podium in Person
[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Signs have been detected that North Korea is preparing a large-scale military parade ahead of the founding day of the Korean People's Army on the 8th. Although there were speculations that the parade might be postponed due to the resurgence of COVID-19, it appears that the midnight parade will be carried out again this time. North Korea has held midnight parades since the founding 75th anniversary parade on October 10, 2020.
The Voice of America (VOA) broadcast on the 5th revealed photos taken the previous day of Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang by the private satellite imagery company ‘Planet Labs,’ stating, "A large crowd, believed to have been mobilized for parade preparations, has appeared once again," and explained, "The ‘red glow’ that appears during full-scale rehearsals was unmistakably visible."
On the 6th, Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, responded to questions about North Korea’s parade movements at a regular briefing, saying, "Since the end of last year, we have been closely monitoring vehicles and personnel in the area," and added, "We are carefully observing any increased activities related to rehearsal recently."
In the past, North Korea has gathered equipment and personnel at Sunan Airport or Mirim Airfield ahead of parades, and this time, personnel mobilized have been seen forming shapes such as ‘2·8’ and ‘75 Corps,’ which is interpreted as preparation for the ‘February 8th, 75th anniversary of the founding of the army’ parade. If the parade takes place, attention will focus on whether Chairman Kim Jong-un, who has been in hiding for over a month, will attend in person and stand on the podium. North Korea is expected to deploy major strategic weapons such as the ‘Hwasong-17’ during the parade.
So far, COVID-19 has been considered a variable for holding this founding day parade. Although North Korea declared the end of COVID-19 in August last year, the spread appears to be ongoing. At the end of last month, a five-day lockdown was imposed in Pyongyang due to an increase in ‘winter respiratory disease’ cases.
The Russian Embassy in Pyongyang, on the 26th of last month (local time), posted a statement on its official Facebook account introducing a diplomatic note received the previous day from the Protocol Department of the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reporting that North Korean authorities declared a five-day special quarantine period related to the spread of respiratory diseases. The note did not mention COVID-19 but only referred to respiratory diseases. On the 3rd, the Workers' Party organ newspaper Rodong Sinmun also pointed out in an article titled ‘Continue to Intensify Emergency Epidemic Prevention’ that "The malignant epidemic, which has infected hundreds of millions and caused millions of deaths worldwide, is not being suppressed and continues to expand."
There is also analysis that North Korea’s tightening of quarantine measures, including lockdowns in Pyongyang, is related to the large-scale parade scheduled for this week. North Korea experienced a precedent where COVID-19 spread throughout the country following the April 2022 parade commemorating the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army.
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