North Korea’s latest military parade on Thursday was par for the course in terms of splendor, the staggering masses involved and the lavish dedication of scarce resources. Yet one would be forgiven for tiring of the by now all too familiar sights of synchronously waving Pyongyangites, soldiers marching in perfect unison or even the ominous rumbling of ballistic missiles passing the stages. 

With the DPRK’s previous parade less than half a year before, the utility of another may seem questionable. Even by the state’s own admission, severe shortages have continued to plague the country