North Korea shows off its missiles in military parade on eve of Winter Olympics
Seoul — North Korea staged a military parade in Pyongyang Thursday to mark the 70th anniversary of its armed forces, putting its intercontinental ballistic missiles on show just a day before the Winter Olympics open in the South. The nuclear-armed North is on an Olympics-linked charm offensive — sending a troupe of performers, hundreds of cheerleaders and the sister of leader Kim Jong-un to South Korea. But regiments of soldiers goose-stepped in formation through Kim Il-sung Square on Thursday, followed by trucks, artillery, tanks and finally four giant Hwasong-15 ICBMs — as well as a band forming the Korean word for "Victory". Unlike the North’s last parade in April 2017, state television did not show the event live, instead airing it hours later. Fireworks went off as leader Kim took his place on the rostrum to watch the display, along with his wife, Ri Sol-ju and the ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-nam — who will head Pyongyang’s delegation to the Olympics on Friday.
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