North Korea hosted another military parade this week but did not reveal missiles or other new weapons tech — a departure from most recent processions.

Instead, “paramilitary and public security forces,” some even riding horses, motorcycle sidecars or firetrucks, filled Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square past midnight on Sept. 9. The composition of the parade, experts told NK News, suggests a parade geared heavily toward a domestic audience.

“North Korea has to reassure its people,” said Jina Kim, professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS). “It’s a really bad situation, with the food crisis and COVID-19 … I