North Korea holds military parade on eve of Olympics

North Korea on Thursday held a military parade showcasing its military strength a day before the Winter Olympics begin in South Korea. The parade marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of North Korea’s military. Thousands of troops marched in the capital city of Pyongyang as the military displayed tanks and rocket-launcher vehicles equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles. “As long as imperialism remains on the Earth and as long as the United States’ hostile policy on North Korea continues, the mission of our military, which is to protect our country and secure peace, can never change,” North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in a speech. The parade served as a reminder of Kim’s ongoing dependance on military aggression, despite improving relations between the North and South ahead of the Olympic Games. North Korea has sent hundreds of delegates to attend the games, including officials, athletes, and a 230-member cheering squad. South Korean President Moon Jae-in plans to meet with senior North Korean officials, including Kim’s sister, who will arrive in the South on Friday. Kim Yo Jong will be the first member of the North’s ruling party to visit South Korea since the end of the Korean War in 1953. On Thursday, Moon welcomed U.S. Vice President Mike Pence to the country ahead of the games. Moon said he hopes the Blue House, his official residence, will become “a venue that leads to dialogue for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”