By Sean Mueck
South Korea held its annual military parade in Seoul, honoring its 76th Armed Forces Day last Tuesday. The large military parade‒which was once held infrequently‒was revitalized last year by current President Yoon Suk Yeol to occur on a yearly basis. The now annual parade aims to show South Korea’s might through the President’s “Peace through strength” motto.
The parade had 5,000 South Korean troops, 350 pieces of artillery, and the U.S. Eighth Army Band marching through downtown Seoul‒shutting down the area for the day. Air defense was also showcased with a U.S. B-1B Heavy Bomber doing a flyby over Seoul.
Headlining the parade was the Hyunmoo-5, a ballistic missile capable of carrying an 8-tonne warhead which has the potential to penetrate deep into North Korea bunkers. It has been dubbed a “monster missile” by the South Korean media. The military officially named the missile the “Ultra High-Power Hyunmoo Ballistic Missile.” The short range missile can travel just over 3,000 miles when fitted with the smaller one tonne warhead.
President Yoon’s office has stated that the missile is a key proponent of the government’s “three-axis” defense systems, which aim to eliminate the nuclear threat proposed by North Korea.
North Korea was a large focus of the day. President Yoon Suk Yeol stated to soldiers at a Seoul air base that, “If North Korea attempts to use nuclear weapons, it will face the resolute and overwhelming response of our military and the South Korea-U.S. alliance.” He went on to state, “That day will be the end of the North Korean regime.”
Some South Korean opposition leaders and activists have denounced the parade as a waste of taxpayer money and similar to past authoritarian military governments.
North Korea recently denounced the parade. North Korea’s Vice Defense Minister Kim Kang II criticized the U.S. B-1B flyover and stated that the United States has conducted a “reckless military bluff” after they recently sent a nuclear-powered missile to South Korea.
The recent parade served as a strong sign of the ever increasing tensions between South and North Korea and their respective allies. As the world moves into a new age of conflict with fierce geopolitical tensions all over the world, the Korean peninsula stands as one of the most important regions to keep an eye on.
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