North Korea showcased what it called its “most powerful” intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-20, during a grand military parade in Pyongyang, according to state media on Saturday. The event, commemorating 80 years of the ruling Workers’ Party, was attended by high-ranking officials from Russia, China, and Vietnam — signaling growing ties between Pyongyang and its allies amid global tensions.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Vietnamese leader To Lam were seated alongside Kim Jong Un during the event, images from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) showed.
The parade featured North Korea’s latest and most sophisticated weapons, including the Hwasong-20 ICBM, described as a “nuclear strategic weapon system” with “unlimited strike range.” Analysts noted that although the missile has not been tested, it reflects Kim’s ambition to develop the capacity to strike cities across the globe.
Professor Leif-Eric Easley of Ewha University in Seoul said the parade was aimed at “asserting domestic legitimacy and international stature for a regime that prioritizes weapons development over economic growth.”
Thousands of citizens in colorful attire filled the capital’s streets, cheering as military units, missile launchers, and drones rolled past under heavy rain. Kim, addressing the troops, urged the army to continue building an “invincible force capable of destroying all threats,” though he refrained from directly mentioning the United States or South Korea.
However, a KCTV narrator described border troops as a “steel fortress” facing “the most hostile state,” a veiled reference to South Korea.
Kim also appeared to reference North Korean soldiers reportedly fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, praising their “heroic fighting spirit” and “victory for international justice.” Seoul has estimated that around 600 North Korean troops have been killed and thousands more wounded in the conflict.
KCNA hailed the display as evidence of North Korea’s “limitless defense technology potential,” while state television broadcast dramatic scenes of commandos performing feats of strength and simulated amphibious attacks.
The parade underscores Kim’s tightening alignment with Moscow and Beijing, following recent joint appearances with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. Experts described the show of force as a reflection of a major geopolitical shift, with Seoul-based scholar Seong-Hyon Lee warning that “this is not an isolated event but part of a structural transformation in regional power dynamics — signaling a united, militarized bloc emerging near South Korea’s borders.”
