North Korea appears to be gearing up to host a larger Foundation Day Parade than a February demonstration intended to celebrate anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army.
According to recent commercial satellite imagery, preparations and training at the Mirim Parade Training Ground signal that the parade — expected to he held on Sept. 9 — will be at least a similar size to the February event, if not bigger in scope, 38 North reports.
Satellite images from this month depict approximately 500 trucks to carry troops to the training facility, a small tent city to provide food and shelter to the troops, and several troops in parade formation. The images also indicate that there are more shelters to protect heavy equipment than there were in February.
Based on the pace of buildup and training at the Mirim Parade Training Ground, #DPRK’s Founding Day military parade scheduled for next month is likely to surpass the Army Day parade held earlier this year. https://t.co/Y83RR4YJWa
— 38 North (@38NorthNK) August 21, 2018
The report comes after it was announced last week that President Trump’s military parade in Washington, D.C. would be postponed to 2019 or later, after which Trump blamed D.C. officials for jacking up the cost.
[More: DC politicians criticize Trump after he blames them for canceling his military parade]
American presidents have largely shied away from public displays of military equipment because Americans may connect the display to the Soviet Union’s Red Square celebrations or North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s display of Taepodong missiles. There have been exceptions, including George H.W. Bush organizing a parade along Constitution Avenue after the American victory of the Persian Gulf War in 1991.
Trump said in an interview with Reuters on Monday that he will “most likely” meet Kim again, comments that come after he met with Kim in Singapore in June.
At a press conference after Kim had left Singapore, Trump said North Korea agreed to give up its nuclear arms. Trump also claimed he was confident that the rogue regime would pursue complete denuclearization and that the process would be underway in the near future.
But recent satellite photos show progress is being made on at least one liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile at a facility outside Pyongyang, the Washington Post recently reported last month.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last month that North Korea was starting to take down a missile engine facility used for their nuclear weapons program, but also conceded that North Korean factories “continue to produce fissile material” used in nuclear weapons.
