China and Russia’s Second-in-Command Visit Pyongyang... Will North Korea Unveil a New ICBM at the Parade?

North Korea Expected to Hold Large-Scale Military Parade for 80th Anniversary of Party Founding
Focus on Whether New ICBM 'Hwasong-20' Will Be Unveiled

On October 10, North Korea is expected to hold a large-scale military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party. This comes as the second-ranking officials from China and Russia, countries that have recently strengthened ties with North Korea, have gathered in Pyongyang. Attention is focused on whether North Korea, which has been emphasizing its status as a 'nuclear-armed state,' will unveil a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at the parade.

Yonhap News Agency

According to the military, North Korea is preparing a massive parade on the Party's founding day, with tens of thousands of participants expected. North Korea typically holds large-scale military parades in milestone years such as every five or ten years. This year also marks the final year of North Korea's ongoing 'Five-Year Plan for National Defense Development.' A military official stated, "There is a high possibility that the parade will take place in the afternoon or late at night on this day."

To commemorate the Party's founding day, Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of China and the second-highest ranking official, and Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council and Chairman of the United Russia Party, have visited Pyongyang. In addition, To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, a socialist state leader, also visited North Korea. This is seen as an effort to demonstrate the solidarity among North Korea, China, and Russia to both domestic and international audiences, following last month's Chinese Victory Day military parade.

There is also interest in whether new weapons, such as the Hwasong-20, a new ICBM under development by North Korea, will be revealed at this parade. Prior to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's attendance at China's Victory Day last month, he had announced plans for the development of the Hwasong-20 missile. As North Korea continues to demand that the United States abandon denuclearization as a precondition for dialogue, the unveiling of a new ICBM capable of reaching the U.S. mainland could serve as an opportunity for North Korea to assert its status as a nuclear-armed state both domestically and internationally.