North Korea displayed what appeared to be a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) at a parade on Thursday, Reuters reported, citing state media.
The country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, smiled and waved as he oversaw the parade in Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square, photos by state media showed.
The parade featured rows of marching soldiers, as well as a range of military hardware including tanks and rocket launchers, according to Reuters.
At the end, a number of what analysts said appeared to be new variants of short-range ballistic missiles and SLBMs rolled into the square on trucks.
“The world’s most powerful weapon, submarine-launch ballistic missiles, entered the square one after another, powerfully demonstrating the might of the revolutionary armed forces,” the country’s news agency KCNA reported.
Photos released by state media showed the SLBM was labelled Pukguksong-5, potentially marking an upgrade over the Pukguksong-4 that was unveiled at a larger military parade in October.
The display follows the congress of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, the first of its kind in five years. During the congress, Kim was named the “general secretary” of the party.
In remarks he made at the start of the gathering, Kim threatened to expand his nuclear arsenal and stated that the fate of relations with the United States depends on whether it abandons its “hostile policy”.
Kim’s comments were seen as applying pressure on the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden.
Outgoing President Donald Trump tried to reached an agreement with North Korea while in office. Kim and Trump met in Hanoi in 2019 for a summit that left nuclear talks at a standstill.
The pair had met three times since June 2018 but made little progress towards denuclearization.
Since those talks broke down, North Korea has conducted several tests of ballistic missiles.
Biden, who will take office on January 20, is unlikely to hold direct meetings with Kim unless the North Korean leader takes significant denuclearization steps.
