Today, September 9th,... North Korea is celebrating the 70th anniversary of its founding.<br />It's usually the day when the regime parades its most powerful military assets,... and highlights its major achievements of the year.<br />So far, there have been only rumors and speculation about about exactly how this year's celebrations would go.<br />Let's connect to our Park Hee-jun for a clearer picture of what's happening.<br />Hee-jun, what can you tell us about how North Korea is celebrating today?<br /><br />It's a big day for North Korea, Ji-yeon,... as the regime turns 70 today.<br />We hear that the parade already ended after beginning at around 10AM.<br />But we're still waiting to hear the specifics,... especially on the military display, what kinds of weapons it featured, and whether North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gave out a public message.<br /><br />Observers have been speculating about whether North Korea would bring out its ICBMs or anything long-range capable of hitting the U.S. <br />Because on previous anniversaries,... it celebrated the accomplishments of its nuclear scientists and flaunted its newest assets.<br />Just back in February, to mark the establishment of its military seven decades ago,... North Korea displayed its Hwasong-14 and 15 ICBMs, which can deliver nuclear weapons to any city in the U.S. mainland.<br />Hundreds of trucks carrying thousands of troops heading to the square were seen earlier today.<br />The South Korean government is still looking into whether the missiles were present-- but there was more military personnel compared to February's parade.<br />I'll bring the updates on that as soon as we get them.<br /><br />Major guests of honor from other countries were also present, including Li Zhanshu , the number three man in China,... representing Chinese leader Xi Jinping,... and from Russia, Valentina Matvienko, chairperson of the Russian Federation Council.<br />Delegations from Turkey, Canada, Iran, and also other countries attend the event.<br />Although he wasn't there in person, President Xi... sent a congratulatory message to Kim that emphasized the two countries' close alliance and said he hopes to work with North Korea to bring prosperity to both countries.<br />Russian President Vladimir Putin also sent a message,... in which said he hopes to enhance cooperation in various fields with the North,... and that he'll support North Korea in bringing peace and stability to the region.<br /><br />It's highly likely that the scale of today's parade reflected North Korea's determination to keep up the momentum of dialogue with the United States,... and its willingness to denuclearize.<br />A display that's too militant would have upset the diplomatic alliance.<br />Plus, Kim Jong-un will be hosting South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Pyeongyang for the third inter-Korean summit of the year,... so the North had to tone down the parade's militaristic aspects.<br /><br />That's all from me for now, Ji-yeon.<br />Back to you. <br />
