Advertisement
Will Kim Jong-un show missiles and military might as North Korea marks a major holiday?
- The Hermit Kingdom’s secretive leader is expected to use Workers’ Party anniversary celebrations to convey messages about the country’s direction
- The celebrations could also contain clues as to the future direction of the North’s relations with the US, its main adversary, analysts said
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0
When North Korea marks one of its biggest holidays this weekend, the world will be watching closely for signs of the secretive country’s next moves at home and overseas.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to use celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers‘ Party of Korea on Saturday to show off the regime’s military might and bolster his standing at a time of economic hardship and isolation.
The events are anticipated to include a large military parade in the capital, Pyongyang, that observers speculate could be used to unveil an unspecified “new strategic weapon” first referred to by the third-generation dictator late last year.
The anniversary comes as Kim grapples with the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic and devastating typhoons, after earlier this year making a rare admission that living standards had not “improved remarkably” despite his five-year economic plan.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects damage from Typhoon Maysak on nation’s east coast
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects damage from Typhoon Maysak on nation’s east coast
The North’s fragile economy grew just 0.4 per cent in 2019, according to an estimate by South Korea’s central bank, its first positive growth in three years. More than 40 per cent of the population are undernourished, according to UN estimates.
Advertisement