North Korea displays ballistic missiles at parade

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un during a parade Thursday displayed several new submarine-launched ballistic missiles to close out a week of political meetings, Reuters reports.

Kim attended the parade in Kim Il Sung Square, which is located in the capital city of Pyongyang, and waved and smiled as military tanks, soldiers, rocket launchers, and what was described as new types of short-range ballistic missile streamed into the street.

“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,” news agency KCNA reported, according to Reuters.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, South Korea, told the outlet that the parade was not intended to incite a response.

“The economy is severely strained from pandemic border closures, policy mismanagement and international sanctions,” he told Reuters. “Despite or perhaps because of this, Kim Jong Un feels the need to devote scarce resources to another political-military display.”

Kim’s sister Kim Yo Jong, who is also a member of North Korea’s ruling party’s Central Committee, criticized South Korea earlier this week for taking a “hostile approach” when reporting on the parades.

South Korea’s military reported detecting indications of a parade in Pyongyang on Sunday, Reuters reported.

North Korean leaders have made a tradition out of meeting in Pyongyang for the first party congress and have done so since 2016, according to Reuters.