Kim Jong-un parade ‘to show off best missile’
North Korea may show off freshly manufactured long-range ballistic missiles in a military parade.
Preparations for a big parade by the North Korean military next month suggest that it may take the opportunity to show off freshly manufactured long-range ballistic missiles, in a new provocation to the United States.
Satellite photographs of the Mirim parade ground in Pyongyang reveal temporary structures big enough to conceal the North’s largest and longest-range missiles, perhaps including the Hwasong-15, which has the potential range to launch a nuclear attack on New York. The parade, on October 10, marks the 75th anniversary of the Korean Workers’ Party.
Photographs analysed by the website NK News also reveal reinforcement work being done on the Okryu bridge, which connects the training ground with the route of the parade. That would allow an unusually heavy load, such as ballistic missiles on heavy transporters, to travel over the bridge.
The Hwasong-15 was test-fired in 2017. Its 8,000-mile range puts most of the world in Kim Jong-un’s sights, including the US eastern seaboard. The mobile launcher on which it is mounted allows it to move around, making it more difficult to detect than a stationary weapon in a silo.
There has also been speculation that Mr Kim may take the opportunity next month to test a new weapons system, perhaps a submarine-launched missile.
The Times
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