Overview
- North Korea held a large-scale nighttime military parade in Pyongyang on Friday, with the event beginning around 10 p.m. and detailed disclosures expected in state media.
- In a Thursday speech at May Day Stadium, Kim Jong-un pledged to build an "affluent" socialist "paradise" and justified simultaneous economic and nuclear development as a response to U.S. threats.
- Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev and Vietnam’s To Lam attended the commemorations, with Kim meeting visiting leaders for talks on closer cooperation.
- During the Russian delegation’s visit, Pyongyang and Moscow released a joint statement in which North Korea voiced full support for Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.
- South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported extensive rehearsals and a high likelihood of the parade, as analysts watched for potential unveilings such as the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile, which remained unconfirmed at press time.