PYONGYANG—North Korea held a grand celebratory event on October 9, the eve of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), where leader Kim Jong Un vowed to build the country into a "more prosperous and beautiful socialist paradise." The event, which took place at the Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, served as a major political rally and a showcase of solidarity with key foreign allies, including China and Russia.

In his speech at the celebration meeting, Kim Jong Un underscored North Korea's history of confronting external pressures, stating that the nation "is standing against the ferocious political and military pressure of the hostile forces with super-hardline measures even today."

A Look Back and a Vow Forward 

Kim reflected on the arduous path of the country's development, noting the unique challenge of simultaneously defending the nation's "ideology and system" during the global political turmoil of the 1990s and later pursuing a "new period of leap forward in socialist construction" by adopting a dual strategy of economic construction and nuclear force building in the face of "increasing nuclear war threats from the U.S. imperialists." He asserted that the struggle to accomplish difficult and vast tasks of defense and construction simultaneously under constant pressure is unparalleled globally.

Despite these challenges, the North Korean leader expressed optimism, insisting that if the people "fight well for a few years with the present momentum," they can noticeably improve their lives. He promised to "surely develop this country to be a more prosperous and beautiful place and establish it as the world's most excellent socialist paradise."

Grand Pre-Anniversary Festivities 

The pre-anniversary event itself was a spectacular affair, beginning with a fireworks display and followed by a massive mass gymnastics (mass games) and artistic performance titled "Long Live the Workers' Party of Korea." This marks the return of the large-scale mass games after a five-year hiatus, the last having been the 'Great Guideway' performance for the 2020 Party founding anniversary.

Images and videos of the celebration were notably shared publicly, including by Singaporean photographer Aram Pan, who attended the event as an invited foreign delegate and posted on his Instagram account, 'DPRK360.' The shared visuals depicted huge banners inside the stadium bearing slogans like "Our Glory, Our Eternal Future," along with choreographed performances by children and women, and military formations. Pan, who has a decade-long history of promoting North Korean tourism, confirmed his attendance as a foreign representative.

Diplomatic Show of Force 

The celebrations were also a critical diplomatic juncture, featuring an unusually high-level delegation of foreign guests, signalling a renewed emphasis on alliance building against Western influence. Key attendees seated with Kim Jong Un at the presidium included:

Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council and China's second-highest-ranking official.
Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council and a close aide to President Vladimir Putin.
To Lam, General Secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party, the country's top leader.
The seating arrangement placed Vietnam's To Lam to Kim’s left and China's Li Qiang to his right, with Russia's Medvedev beside Lam, physically embodying the strategic alignment among the nations.

Military Parade Watch 

While the October 9 event was a pre-anniversary celebration held at the Rungrado May Day Stadium, it was separate from the traditional military parade. Speculation remains high over the timing of a major military parade, a key feature of significant North Korean anniversaries.

In the past, military parades have been held at Kim Il Sung Square, often at midnight. The fact that the evening event took place at Rungrado has fueled speculation that a "midnight military parade" on the transition from October 9 to 10 may not have occurred. However, South Korean military officials reported observing signs of imminent parade preparations, including the movement of missile launchers, tanks, and other heavy equipment. Observers suggest that a parade may still take place on the afternoon of October 10, the official anniversary day, to showcase the nation's latest weaponry and military might to both domestic and international audiences. The high-level attendance of Chinese and Russian officials is seen by analysts as an effort by Pyongyang to solidify its position in the emerging "anti-U.S. alliance."