North Korea to hold military parade amid COVID-19 concerns, no foreign delegates: Report

North Koreans gathered in the capital Pyongyang ahead of the 75th founding anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea despite COVID-19 pandemic concerns The parade will see thousands of people gathering in the city to celebrate the founding day. The secretive country is expected to hold a big military parade on October 10 to celebrate the special day. South Korea's unification ministry on Thursday said that Pyongyang may display strategic weapons and ballistic missiles in the military parade on Saturday. The event tomorrow is likely to be held without any foreign dignitaries keeping in the mind the COVID-19 pandemic, said KCNA. 

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Earlier, satellite imagery revealed by a US-based think-tank suggested that North Korea might display the recently developed inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) at the parade. 38 North, a program of the Stimson Center dedicated to analysing events in and around North Korea, released satellite imagery of Mirim Parade Training Ground on September 22, where a vehicle carrying something similar to ICBM was spotted. 

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Other events

According to KCNA, a national art exhibition has also opened in the capital depicting the images of President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il who played a vital role in setting up the party and its development. The exhibition will continue until November 3. The ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) was founded on October 10, 1945, by Kim Jong Un's grandfather, who also founded the country after the war with the South. 

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On October 8, the National Symphony Orchestra performed a concert at the Moranbong Theatre to celebrate the 75th founding anniversary of the WPK. The state-owned news agency informed that the performance began with the orchestral music "Song Dedicated to Motherly Party". Several other orchestras also performed to commemorate the 75th founding day of WPK. 

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