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A satellite photo from Airbus Defence and Space taken on Jan. 28 shows people and vehicles in formation in Pyongyang in a rehearsal for the 70th founding anniversary of North Korea's armed forces on Feb. 8. / Captured image from 38 North |
By Yi Whan-woo
North Korea appears to be trying to enliven the mood for 70th anniversary of its armed forces,
Feb. 8, the day before the opening of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
Last week, the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling Workers' Party, promoted the military's achievements, including its "victory over the U.S. imperial forces in the liberation war."
The repressive state has also been mobilizing tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians, as well as military assets for a massive parade scheduled in Pyongyang.
Such a move comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shifted the anniversary date for the country's military from April 25 to Feb. 8 in 2015. For almost four decades, North Korea commemorated the founding of the anti-Japanese guerrilla force — the Korean People's Revolutionary Army (KPRA) — led by the country's founding leader Kim Il-sung on April 25, 1932.
In 2015, Kim Jong-un designated Feb. 8 as Armed Forces Day, in reference to the day the KPRA transformed into a regular army in 1948.
However, none of the Armed Forces Days from 2015 to 2017 were marked with parades, fueling speculation that Pyongyang deliberately planned the parade this year to intimidate Seoul and dampen its first Winter Games.
On Jan. 29, the Rodong Sinmun referred to the country's armed forces as the "most elite troops that win 100 victories in 100 battles."
"Our military was able to deter the vicious U.S. forces from invasion and triumph in the liberation war for our motherland," the newspaper said.
It also said the military is "at its heyday under the outstanding leadership" of Kim.
On Jan. 27, the daily published an article praising the "immortal achievements" of the North Korean leadership in building a strong military. Further, from Jan. 28 to 29, it published a series that dealt with the founding of the armed forces while calling for readiness against the enemy.
Meanwhile, multiple government sources in Seoul said the number of people mobilized at Mirim Airport in Pyongyang for the parade increased from 13,000 to 50,000 last week. Satellite images from Planet, a private U.S. Earth imaging company, showed the Kim Il-sung Square, located 7.5 kilometers west of the airport, covered with "red waves" that suggested a massive crowd.
The images also showed the crowd practicing in formation, creating the name of their Supreme Leader and the symbol of the Workers' Party. Additionally, hundreds of heavy tow-trucks, combat vehicles, tanks and long-range, self-propelled artillery were parked in formation on the sides of the square.
According to the sources, the shape and size of the crowd resembles those at the parade in April 15, 2017, when 150,000 people were mobilized to celebrate the 105th anniversary of Kim Il-sung's birth.
