Thousands of soldiers rehearse for expected Pyongyang parade

Seoul, Mar 21 (EFE).- North Korea has mobilized thousands of soldiers believed to be rehearsing for a parade next month, a South Korean military source said Monday.

“There has been a media report of about 6,000 troops having gathered, and our assessment at this point is that the number has risen more than that,” the unnamed official, cited by Yonhap news agency, told reporters when asked about Voice of America satellite photo information published last week.

Since February, satellites have captured images of troops and other military assets rehearsing at Mirim airport southeast of Pyongyang, which mimics Kim Il-Sung Square in the North Korean capital where the regime’s huge military parades take place.

The rehearsals are believed to be for a parade to be held on Apr. 15, the 110th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-sung, the country’s founder and grandfather of current leader Kim Jong-un.

It is expected that the regime will display its most innovative weapons during the parade, at a time when it has vigorously resumed its weapons tests.

Since the beginning of the year, Pyongyang has carried out 10 launches, the last three that Seoul and Washington believe were to test new technology for an intercontinental ballistic missile called Hwasong-17, which potentially has greater range and destructive power than any other North Korean weapon. EFE

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