North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended a military parade in Pyongyang late on Wednesday that was the largest display of intercontinental ballistic missiles in the country’s history.
In addition, according to a number of analysts cited by the BBC, the weapons smuggled through the central square of Kim Il Sung could potentially challenge the US nuclear defense system if each of the missiles – more than 10 of them were shown in total – carry several warheads.
At this parade, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army, among those accompanying Kim was his youngest daughter, who stood next to her father. These circumstances gave rise to rumors that the girl has already begun to be positioned as the successor to Kim Jong-un.
Regarding the missiles, state-run North Korean media did not provide details, but it was stressed that “the arsenal demonstrated the country’s powerful capabilities in military deterrence and counterattacks.”
Some North Korean experts, having studied satellite images from the parade, noted that they also appear to show a new launcher designed to accommodate a solid rocket. These missiles can be fired faster than liquid-fueled ones, greatly enhancing the ability to strike back quickly. The solid-propellant rockets themselves, writes the BBC, have not yet been successfully tested by the Kim regime.
The UN bans North Korea from testing ballistic missiles, but there were at least 60 such tests last year alone.
