The South Korean military said Monday it has not detected any imminent signs of preparations for a military parade in North Korea ahead of two major holidays in the communist country.

Col. Lee Sung-joon, the spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the remark after Voice of America reported Saturday the North may be preparing for a military parade near an airport in Pyongyang, based on commercial satellite imagery.

“Signs of North Korea’s preparation for a military parade have not yet been verified,” Lee said during a regular press briefing.

Although Pyongyang usually marks every fifth or 10th anniversary with large events, Lee said this year is not one of the commemorative years that are likely to have major events.

North Korea’s two major holidays in April are the birthday of the country’s founder Kim Il-sung, the late grandfather of leader Kim Jong-un, on April 15 and the founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army on April 25.

The JCS said it has been closely monitoring No
rth Korea’s preparation for a second launch of a military satellite at its Tongchang-ri launch site in its northwestern tip.

“There are no imminent signs of (North Korea’s) spy satellite launch at its Tonchang-ri launch site. South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities have been closely coordinating to monitor and track North Korea’s military activities,” Lee said.

The North successfully placed its first spy satellite into orbit and vowed to launch three more this year. South Korea also put its military reconnaissance satellite into orbit in December and plans to launch a second one in early April.

Source: Yonhap News Agency