South Korea displays missiles, drones, and tanks in uncommon military parade

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South Korea held a military parade on the streets of Seoul on September 26, 2023.

South Korea displayed its advanced weapons in a military parade yesterday. They drove tanks and missiles through the rainy streets of their capital, which was the first time in ten years for such an event.

A parade was held to celebrate the 75th Armed Forces Day, which is the day that marks the founding of the country’s military. This parade occurred while tensions on the Korean peninsula were increasing. South Korea, the United States, and Japan were forming closer relationships to protect themselves against North Korea’s advancing weapons program.

The event started in the morning with ceremonies and performances at the Seoul Air Base. President Yoon Suk Yeol gave a speech, warning Pyongyang not to use nuclear weapons.

Yoon said that if North Korea chooses to use nuclear weapons, the alliance between Seoul and Washington will respond strongly and it will result in the end of North Korea’s regime. Yoon spoke these words while it was raining.

The parade, which hasn’t happened in South Korea since 2013, took place in the afternoon. Soldiers and military vehicles marched through the center of Seoul, going past the city hall and historic Gwanghwamun Square. There were a lot of people standing along the roads in the rain, some of them wearing plastic ponchos and holding umbrellas.

According to the Ministry of National Defense, a lot of South Korean soldiers and over 300 US troops walked together in the event. Other activities during the event included a band playing military music, people holding flags, and the animals that represent each military group.

Displayed were some homemade equipment like flying robots, military vehicles and protective vehicles for carrying people. Soldiers in cars waved to the people as they drove past; some vehicles had the South Korean flag attached on the outside.

Peter Layton, who is a visiting fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute at Griffith University, mentioned that the parade sends a message to different countries like the United States, North Korea, and China. However, the main reason for the event is related to things happening inside the country itself.

The parade and Yoon’s presence show the Korean people that South Korea is now an important and powerful country on the global stage. The current president refers to it as a pivotal global power. It also improves how people see the Korean defense industry, which is doing very well in selling products to other countries while other parts of the economy are not doing well.

Yoon has said before that he wants South Korea to become one of the top four countries in the world for selling weapons. The top three countries right now are the US, Russia, and France. The industry has grown quickly, making $7 billion from selling defense products in 2021, as reported by the Export-Import Bank of Korea.

Layton said that the parade shows how South Korea and the US are still good friends and are becoming closer. It also shows that they are becoming closer with Japan too. This is happening because North Korea is testing more weapons.

Intelligence from around the world has also indicated since last year that Pyongyang might be getting ready to start nuclear testing again. Pictures taken from satellites have shown movement happening at its secret underground nuclear testing place.

In April of this year, Yoon and US President Joe Biden made an important agreement to prevent North Korean aggression. This agreement includes the US sending a submarine with nuclear weapons to South Korea, which hasn’t happened since the early 1980s.

In August, Yoon, Biden, and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met for a very important meeting. They talked about doing new military exercises together and also agreed to have a hotline to communicate during crisis situations. This was the first time Biden invited foreign leaders to a place called Camp David in Maryland. Camp David is a location where previous presidents have had important meetings with other countries.

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