North Korea appears to be stepping up daily practices for a large-scale military parade expected to take place on Oct. 10, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery, with hundreds of additional troop trucks and lines of marching soldiers appearing at a training site in recent weeks.

Planet Labs imagery taken on Sept. 5 shows around 550 or more trucks parked at the Mirim military parade training grounds in southeast Pyongyang, more than double the amount seen there a month earlier. 

Each truck can comfortably carry 20 soldiers, but they have also been seen carrying up to 40 at past military parades, meaning the number of troops currently staying at the Mirim complex is likely over 10,000.

An image taken on Sept. 7 also showed lines indicative of soldiers practicing marching in formation at Mirim’s replica Kim Il Sung Square — where parades usually take place — as well as around the new April 25 Hotel facilities at the east end of the complex.

NK Pro was first to report on preparations for the upcoming parade, after satellite imagery suggested that DPRK leader Kim Jong Un ordered the construction of an upgraded viewing stand to oversee the training at Mirim. Troop trucks then showed up in early July, likely marking the start of formal practices around three months ahead of the Oct. 10 event.

North Korea has yet to confirm it will hold a military parade on that day, but it is the most likely date for the current preparations since Pyongyang has not failed to celebrate a five- or 10-year anniversary of the Oct. 10 ruling party foundation holiday with a military parade since 1995.

With just a month to go until the parade, imagery in the coming weeks will likely reveal additional signs of preparations, including more troops practicing in large block formations and evidence of missile launch vehicles practicing driving in formation.

Jets and planes are also expected to gather, possibly at the Pyongyang International Airport or Sunchon Airbase to the north, to start flyover training, while the construction of shelters near Kim Il Sung Square could offer clues about how many drones North Korea will show off at the parade.

The preparations come as Kim Jong Un attended a major military parade in China last week. State TV over the weekend offered domestic viewers an extensive look at Chinese nuclear missiles and a large range of other advanced weaponry, giving citizens lots to compare when DPRK missiles start rolling through Pyongyang next month.

North Korea may show off the recently announced Hwasong-20 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time, as well as other previously unseen weapons like missiles, air force and naval drones, and electronic offensive and defensive capabilities.

Edited by Bryan Betts

Updated on Sept. 9 at 9:34 p.m. KST with a new image of Mirim taken Tuesday showing full-scale practices