The military parade held in North Korea on the night of the 25th to mark the 9th Labor Party Congress appeared to be centered more on personnel than on conventional weapons. It is assessed as the first time in the past decade that North Korea has not put weapons or equipment at the forefront. However, as North Korea mentioned a nuclear-conventional integration (CNI) strategy linking nuclear and conventional weapons at this party congress, observers say it is expected to showcase its military power in the future.

North Korea holds a military parade in Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on the 25th to mark the closing of the 9th Party Congress. Labor Party General Secretary Kim Jong-un says in his address, "Our armed forces are ready for any situation," adding, "We will deliver immediate and ruthless retaliatory strikes against any force's military provocations." /Courtesy of Rodong Sinmun News1

According to the Korea Defense and Security Forum (KODEF) and others on the 26th, about 15,000 troops were mobilized for North Korea's parade commemorating the 9th Labor Party Congress. The scale is similar to last year. The (North) Korean Central News Agency reported that 50 marching units from various services, branches, and specialized units, as well as a parade flight unit, took part. In addition to a mechanized infantry division, the formation also included the "overseas operations unit formation" and the "overseas engineer regiment formation," which are known to have been dispatched to the war in Ukraine.

In particular, it was reported as unusual that weapons and equipment were not mobilized. Previously, North Korea had unveiled various weapons and equipment at every parade, from mobilizing 291 pieces across 31 types of weapons and equipment at the 70th anniversary parade of the Labor Party's founding in 2015 to more than 60 pieces of equipment at the 80th anniversary parade last October. Satellite images of North Korea's Mirim Airfield released on the 17th also did not identify traces of equipment movement.

Shin Jong-woo, secretary-general of KODEF, said, "A parade without weapons appears to be the first case in the past 10 years," and added, "However, as North Korea mentioned a North Korea-style CNI at the party congress, it is expected to continue its nuclear threat through performance upgrades and intensified training, and to showcase its military power through test launches or launch ceremonies of new weapons reflected in the five-year plan."

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), regarding the parade, said, "The South Korea-U.S. intelligence authorities have been closely monitoring North Korea's parade and are analyzing related matters, including North Korea's public reports."

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