Overview
- Kim Jong-un presided over the Pyongyang event and urged the army to become an "invincible" force, avoiding direct threats toward the United States or South Korea.
- Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev and Vietnam’s To Lam attended, highlighting Pyongyang’s closer alignment with Beijing and Moscow as Kim and Medvedev discussed deeper cooperation.
- KCNA tied the new missile to a recently completed series of high-thrust solid-fuel engine tests, claiming roughly 1,971 kilonewtons of maximum thrust in the ninth and "last" trial.
- The system has not been flight-tested, and analysts say it likely targets multiple-warhead capability and could be launched on a test before the end of the year.
- The parade also featured hypersonic missiles, long-range strategic cruise missiles, drone launch vehicles, Chonma-20 tanks, 155mm howitzers and 600mm multiple rocket launchers, with KCNA noting an "overseas operations" unit among the troops.