North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) presided over an event marking the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, state-run media reported Friday. Photo by KCNA/EPA
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to transform North Korea into a “more affluent and beautiful land” and a “socialist paradise” at an event marking the 80th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, state media reported Friday.
Kim made the pledge during a speech at Pyongyang’s May Day Stadium on Thursday, the official Korean Central News Agency said.
The event, held on the eve of the anniversary, was attended by foreign dignitaries, including Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Vietnamese Communist Party chief To Lam and Russian ex-President Dmitry Medvedev.
The North Korean leader said that the governing party has made “no mistake or error” in its 80-year-history, according to KCNA.
Kim recounted the party’s history in his remarks, saying that it was forced to balance economic development alongside nuclear weapons capabilities in order to respond to “the growing nuclear war threats by the U.S. imperialists.”
“Historically, there has been no such country in the world as ours, which had to carry out so many tasks … for national defense and construction, even as it was facing constant and tenacious pressure, interference and threats of aggression by outside forces,” Kim said.
North Korea is still facing “ferocious political and military” pressure but is continuing to develop “international prestige,” Kim added.
“I will surely turn this country into a more affluent and beautiful land and into the best socialist paradise in the world,” he said.
Thursday’s celebrations included fireworks, musical performances and a mass gymnastics display, KCNA reported.
The North is also expected to hold a large-scale military parade on Friday night, according to South Korea’s military.
“[North Korea] is conducting a rehearsal involving equipment and missiles,” an official from Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff told reporters on Friday. “We believe [the parade] is highly likely to be held tonight.”
The JCS official added that rain is forecast for the evening, which may have an impact on the mobilization of air assets.
Pyongyang has held its last several military parades at night, using dramatic lighting and increasingly sophisticated production values to showcase its growing power.
Analysts have said that new weapons are likely to be unveiled Friday, with observers looking out for the North’s next-generation Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile.
The anniversary comes as the isolated regime is making a renewed diplomatic push onto the international stage.
Last month, Kim traveled to Beijing to attend a military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, where he stood shoulder to shoulder with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
During the visit, Kim held his first summit with Xi in six years, as ties between the longtime allies show signs of warming after a suspected rift over Pyongyang’s growing military alignment with Moscow.
On Thursday, Kim held one-on-one talks with Vietnamese leader To Lam and China’s Li Qiang, considered to be the second-in-command to Xi, according to KCNA.
Kim and Li discussed “issues arising in mutually expanding high-level visits, strategic communication, multi-faceted exchange and cooperation to develop the friendly and cooperative relations … in a wider and comprehensive way,” KCNA said.
