Missiles, tanks and other military hardware paraded through central Seoul together with troops and ordinary people Tuesday as the country held the first such military procession in 10 years to mark Armed Forces Day.
President Yoon Suk Yeol joined the procession in the rain, walking together with Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and military commanders behind a military brass band, and waving to people lining the street. At the end of the parade, Yoon gave a brief remark as troops and cadets surrounding him cheered.
It marked the first parade of its kind since 2013, as Seoul has recently stepped up efforts to bolster its military’s capabilities amid Pyongyang’s continued push to develop nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.
South Korea has usually held a military parade every five years in time for Armed Forces Day, which falls on Oct. 1, but the preceding Moon Jae-in government skipped the event amid its push for inter-Korean reconciliation.
In Tuesday’s parade, some 3,700 troops and over 170 pieces of military equipment, including the country’s “high-power” missiles, K2 main battle tanks and unmanned aerial vehicles, moved in formation through foggy weather under autumn rain from Sungnyemun Gate to Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul.
Crowds of spectators holding umbrellas lined the traffic-controlled Sejongno Street, which pierces through downtown Seoul, to catch a glimpse of the waves of soldiers, military academy cadets and armored vehicles.
In an apparent warning against North Korea, the parade featured key weapons systems utilized in Seoul’s three-axis deterrence structure, including Hyunmoo surface-to-surface missiles.
South Korea has developed a series of Hyunmoo missiles, including ballistic and cruise-type ones, as centerpieces of Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR), an operational plan to incapacitate the North Korean leadership in case of a major conflict.
KMPR is a pillar of the three-pronged system that includes the Kill Chain preemptive strike platform and the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system.
The military did not disclose exactly which Hyunmoo missiles were on display in line with the secrecy surrounding them, but a military official said a “high-power” type was included in the event.
The parade also showcased the country’s Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile system under development, designed to shoot down an incoming ballistic missile at altitudes of 50-60 kilometers and expected to be a key element of KAMD.
Unmanned combat systems that the military seeks to utilize for future warfare were also on display, including unmanned aerial vehicles and an unmanned underwater vehicle.
Some 300 U.S. combat troops took part in the parade for the first time in a show of its commitment to the bilateral alliance, which marks its 70th anniversary this year.
Due to the weather, the military cancelled performances by the Air Force’s Black Eagles aerobatic team as well as flights by helicopters and warplanes, including Apache attack choppers and F-35A stealth fighters.
Earlier in the day, President Yoon Suk Yeol inspected the troops and military equipment featured at the parade at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of the capital, in a commemorative ceremony for the anniversary.
Source: Yonhap News Agency