The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) has unveiled new images from a military parade in Pyongyang in North Korea that show new submarine-fired missiles. The parade, which was performed in the presence of Kim Jong Un, as well as thousands of enthusiastic onlookers, reveal what KCNA described as the “world’s most powerful weapon.”
Of course, this is the type of hyperbolic propaganda that we have become used to from North Korea, it does still present a problem for incoming President Joe Biden, as many political experts view this parade as a bit of taunting from the Korean leader. Besides the submarine-launched missile, a new solid-fueled short-range ballistic missile was also out on display.
Just a few days ago, Kim announced
That he was looking to develop more sophisticated weaponry to the North Korean missile arsenal. He also claimed that a nuclear-powered submarine was also on his list, and this parade would seem to suggest that the Koreans are indeed moving forward and making advances in that development.
While there seemed to be some sort of mutual respect between Kim and President Trump, it seems a good deal less likely that Kim will find much common ground with Biden. Kim made it clear that despite the meetings with Trump, he still does not fully trust America on the stage of world politics. He said, “No matter who is in power in the US, the true nature and the true spirit of the anti-North Korea policy will never change. “The development of nuclear weapons will be pushed forward without interruption.”
The parade, which was held on Thursday night, was a celebration of the Eight Workers’ Party Congress, which was a meeting for the elite of the country to come together and talk about failures and successes from the past few years. The Congress’ main focus was on the poor economic conditions in North Korea, as well as COVID-19 and other issues that have stalled Kim’s attempts to improve living standards in the country.
While the missile display is seen as a little concerning in world politics, it is worth noting that without testing, none of the weapons can be considered functional at this point. One notable absence from the parade were intercontinental ballistic missiles, which are those that would be used to target countries across the globe. Perhaps that could be viewed as a positive sign.
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