Armed Forces 90th Anniversary, North Korea Displays Hwasong-17 ICBM In Night Parade

Illustration of a Hwasong-17 ballistic missile during a North Korean military parade. (Youtube/EngineerReact screenshot)

JAKARTA - North Korea will accelerate its development of nuclear weapons, leader Kim Jong Un said at a military parade featuring an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), state media reported on Tuesday.

The parade took place on Monday during celebrations of the anniversary of the founding of North Korea's armed forces, state news agency KCNA said. It comes as Pyongyang has stepped up weapons testing, demonstrating military might amid stalled denuclearization talks with the United States and the impending conservative government of South Korea.

"The Republican nuclear force should be ready to carry out responsible and deterrence missions at any time," Leader Kim said at the meeting.

The fundamental mission of North Korea's nuclear power is to prevent war, but that may not be the only use if other countries impose unintended circumstances, he added.

It is known, the North Korean armed forces (KPA) formerly the Korean People's Revolutionary Army (KPRA) were formed on April 25, 1932 by national founder Kim Il-sung, reported the Korea Times.

The parade featured North Korea's largest ICBM, the Hwasong-17, KCNA reported. The massive missile was tested for the first time last month. However, officials in South Korea believe efforts to carry out a full test ended in an explosion in Pyongyang.

North Korean state media did not immediately release images of Monday's parade, but processions often feature previously unseen weapons, usually including arrays of conventional weapons such as artillery and tanks, plus tens of thousands of troops chanting "long live" to Kim Jong-un.