North Korea Holds Military Parade To Mark 90th Anniversary Of National Army - Reports

North Korea held a military parade on Monday evening to commemorate the founding of the North Korean army, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing military sources

SEOUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th April, 2022) North Korea held a military parade on Monday evening to commemorate the founding of the North Korean army, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing military sources.

Last week, Yonhap reported that the military parade was scheduled to start around midnight Sunday, but was supposedly postponed due to bad weather.

The parade began on Monday at around 10:00 p.m (13:00 GMT) at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang. The South Korean military believe that this is probably not a rehearsal, but a full-fledged parade. The participation of the country's leader Kim Jong Un has not yet been confirmed, Yonhap reported.

Pyongyang mobilized about 20,000 troops, more than 250 pieces of military equipment were allegedly observed at parade rehearsals, including the Hwasong-8 hypersonic missile, the recently tested by Pyongyang Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), according to the news agency.

The founding anniversary of the North Korean People's Revolutionary Army (KPRA), created by the nation's founder, Kim Il Sung, in 1932, is celebrated on April 25. North Korea has already held nine military parades since Kim Jong Un came to power. However, the current parade was the first to coincide with the anniversary of the founding of the KPRA as parades were usually held on April 15, the birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung. The founding day of the ruling Workers' Party is on October 10, and the nation's foundation is celebrated on September 9.

There was no parade this year on April 15; instead, a mass rally and regular festivities took place.