What it is like to see a DPRK Military Parade in Person -by Dr Dermot Hudson KFA UK Chairman.

                                                             

Seeing a DPRK military parade is really something quite different , out of this world in fact . I have seen DPRK military parades in  2012 , 2013 , 2015 , 2017 and in 2018 . 

I felt greatly honoured to be seated on the reviewing stand on KIM IL SUNG square . This honour is only accorded to members of visiting delegations such as KFA delegations and Juche Idea study delegations . When we were on our own back from the DPRK in 2018 we met some British tourists who told us that they had to watch the parade from a side street .

                        

My first time watching in person  a  DPRK military parade was in April 2012 . This was on April 15th for the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great leader comrade KIM IL SUNG . Previously I only watched videos of DPRK military parades such as the one held in April 1992 for the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the Korean People’s Army (KPA)  . This time was different. It was truly spectacular and awe inspiring . The level of discipline and enthusiasm . What was impressive to me was the ICBMs . One missile was named ‘ Reunification ‘ . Our guide Professor Ri , a teacher from KIM IL SUNG University  , said with pride ‘Our missiles can hit Alaska  ! ‘, A delegation near us was not happy with this remark as they believed in ‘peaceful co-existence ‘ .

At each DPRK military parade we have seen respected Marshal KIM JONG UN . In April 2012 I remember him waving at the crowds.

Each DPRK military parade is different and has its own unique features . In 2013 during the parade for the 60th anniversary of the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War helicopters flew through the streets into KIM IL SUNG square and then over the buildings . The parade for the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the Workers Party of Korea , was led by the original tank 312 , which was the first KPA Tank to enter Seoul on the 3rd day of the Fatherland Liberation War when Seoul was liberated from south Korean puppet and US imperialist colonial rule.In 2018 ,planes flew across the square and with fireworks made the number "70 " , this was extremely creative . Then  fighter bomber aircraft of the KPA roared across the  sky trailing beautiful plumes of red , white and blue smoke , the colours of the national flag of the DPRK.

                                         

The DPRK’s military parades prove that Juche and self-reliance work . They show that sanctions cannot stop People’s Korea . Most of all , they demonstrate the invincible power of the DPRK and its single-hearted unity.

Dr Dermot Hudson

Chairman KFA UK

Chariman British Group for the Study of the Juche Idea

President Association for the Study of Songun Politics UK