South Korea will hold its first military parade in 10 years in downtown Seoul this September, as North Korea continues preparations for its own military parade likely set for late July.

The military parade on Sept. 26 will consist of a “street march” along a 1-mile (1.5 km) stretch of road from Seoul’s Sungnyemun to Gwanghwamun landmarks, as well as a “memorial event” at Seoul Air Base, a Ministry of National Defense (MND) spokesperson told reporters at a regular briefing Thursday.

The events will celebrate the 75th Armed Forces Day and 70th anniversary of U.S.-ROK relations, defense ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu said. The ministry has not revealed how many troops will participate and what kind of weapons will be on display.

The last downtown Seoul military parade took place on Oct. 1, 2013 for the 65th Armed Forces Day, while a parade event took place at Seoul Air Base that day as well.

Then-President Park Geun-hye watched 105 military vehicles, missiles and other weapons of over 35 different types and reviewed 4,500 marching soldiers while standing in an open top limousine at the two events.

Pyongyang condemned the event at the time and said it revealed Seoul’s plans “for confrontation and war” against the North.

Current President Yoon Suk-yeol delivered a speech and similarly reviewed troops from a limousine at a smaller Armed Forces Day event last October at the Gyerongdae military headquarters, which featured a display of tanks and weapons, soldiers marching in formation and air force flyovers.

Asked whether South Korean troops will have enough time to prepare with proper rest for the September event, Jeon said a separate team is in charge of the plans and is “carrying out preparations in a calm and orderly manner.”

On the other side of the border, North Korean defectors have told of extreme daily training sessions for Pyongyang’s military parades. These have been held more frequently in recent years, though DPRK leader Kim Jong Un has appeared to tone down the intensity of the soldiers’ goose-stepping since 2020.

NEXT NORTH KOREAN PARADE

Soldier training for North Korea’s next military parade appears to have continued at a key base in Pyongyang in recent days, according to NK News analysis of Planet Labs satellite imagery, despite reports from major South Korean outlets suggesting the training was halted.

Satellite images of the Mirim military parade training grounds taken on May 23 and May 31 show evidence of ongoing soldier training for an upcoming parade. Please refresh page if images do not load. | Images: Planet Labs, edited by NK News

NK News was first to report on the start of preparations at the Mirim military parade training grounds in mid-May, suggesting the event could take place on July 27 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.

Images taken on both May 23 and May 31 show thousands of soldiers in block formations at the on-site replica of Kim Il Sung Square, the area in downtown Pyongyang where parades typically take place.

The images also reveal new activity inside a secure military vehicle garage compound on the grounds, suggesting the upcoming parade will involve the display of weapons. 

North Korea is also set to hold major celebrations on Sept. 9 this year, ahead of South Korea’s military parade, to mark the 75th national founding anniversary.

Edited by Bryan Betts