N Korea mobilizes missiles for parade

North Korea has mobilized a variety of missiles to hold a major military parade to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the armistice in the Korean War.

Thousands of soldiers marched through Pyongyang, roaring “Protect Kim Jong-un with our lives” on July 27, which is celebrated by North Koreans as the Day of Victory.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, accompanied by senior military officials and foreign dignitaries, presided over the parade.

Choe Ryong-Hae, the North’s highest military official, said “The respected leader Kim Jong-Un has upgraded our military and taken the solidarity among our people to a whole new level.”

“Peaceful environment is more important than anything else for our country that strives to achieve economic construction and improvement of the lives of people,” Choe said.

“All servicemen and people should… strengthen our defence and be firmly prepared to fend off any attacks from the outside,” he added.

“The US imperialists sustained a heavy defeat for the first time in their more than 100-year-long history of wars of aggression,” said head of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly Kim Yong-Nam prior to the parade, admiring the North’s “great victory” in the Korean War.

Reports say the parade is closely monitored to see if the North has made any progress in its ballistic missile program since its last parade which was staged last year.

During the 2012 military parade to celebrate the 100th birthday of late North Korean founder Kim Il-sung, Pyongyang presented more than 850 pieces of its military equipment. North Korea also unveiled its KN-08 missiles.

The two Koreas are still technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.