N.K. at final stage of preparations for military parade: defense ministry

SEOUL, Oct. 7 (Yonhap) -- North Korea is at the final stage of preparing for a military parade expected to be held in Pyongyang this weekend to mark the founding anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party, the defense ministry said Wednesday.

The Oct. 10 anniversary of the party's founding 75 years ago has drawn attention as the North could showcase new strategic weapons on the occasion in what could be seen as messages to the United States, or South Korea, amid stalled denuclearization talks.

"North Korea is at the final stage of preparing for events, including a military parade, to mark the 75th founding anniversary of the Workers' Party," the ministry said in a parliamentary audit report.

North Korea tends to mark every fifth or 10th anniversary with larger-scale events, such as military provocations, including missile launches, or parades of troops, newly developed strategic weapons and other military hardware.

In his New Year's message, leader Kim Jong-un said he will showcase a "new strategic weapon," which could be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), according to experts and observers.

scaaet@yna.co.kr
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