North Korea shows off largest-ever number of nuclear missiles at nighttime parade

North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a nighttime military parade on Wednesday (February 8) which displayed multiple long-range missiles, including what analysts said could be a new, solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). According to the state news agency KCNA on Thursday, the parade was held to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army. The KCNA said that the ICBM showed Pyongyang's greatest nuclear strike ability, adding, the parade also featured tactical nuclear units.

Kim Jong Un attended the parade with his wife Ri Sol Ju, and daughter Ju Ae, news agency AFP reported citing state media photographs. The supreme leader wore a black coat and fedora- a dress which was favoured by his grandfather and North Korea's founding leader Kim Il Sung. Kim Jon Un inspected rows of soldiers holding bayonets, and standing flanked by his top generals, saluting as troops and missile units parade past.

Columns of missiles were paraded through Kim Il Sung Square. Among the systems on display was the largest ICBM yet, the Hwasong-17, followed by what some analysts said could be the new solid-fuel ICBM, news agency Reuters reported.

Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Joseph Dempsey, a research associate for defence and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said, "Following the apparent Hwasong-17 ICBM pairs are four unidentified but apparently similarly sized canisterised systems."

Ankit Panda from the American think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said the canistered ICBM might be seen during a parade and which has so far not been tested, Reuters reported.

The news agency further pointed out that developing a solid-fuel ICBM has been seen as a key goal for Pyongyang as it could make its nuclear missiles harder to spot and destroy during a conflict. It is not yet clear how close the suspected new missile could be to testing as North Korea has sometimes displayed mockups during the parades.

North Korea has held four night-time military parades in recent years including the one on Wednesday, AFP reported. This comes after the country vowed to expand and intensify military drills to ensure readiness for war. Earlier, Kim Jong Un had called for an "exponential" increase in the nuclear arsenal, including mass-producing tactical nuclear weapons and developing new missiles for nuclear counterstrikes.

(With inputs from agencies)

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