North Korea marks founding father's birth with parades but no missiles
Crowds thronged the memorial palace as soldiers paraded in front of the two giant bronze statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il
Ceremony: Orderly crowds
North Korea marked the 101st anniversary of the birth of its founding father yesterday as tensions still simmered over its nuclear programme.There had been fears the rogue country would fire a missile and provoke further tensions as it did last year for the 100th anniversary of ‘Dear Leader’ Kim Il-sung, who died in 1994.But the day appeared to simply be the start of a two-day public holiday.Girls in red and pink jackets skipped along the banner-lined streets of capital Pyongyang. Crowds thronged the memorial palace as soldiers paraded in front of the two giant bronze statues of Il-sung and his son, former leader Kim Jong-il who died in 2011.But the happy public celebration was a far cry from the harsh reality of life in the state.
Memorial: Soldiers on paradeThe Mirror has published accounts of people being executed and a child starving to death on a street. In South Korea, protesters in the capital Seoul, burned effigies of the former rulers and current dictator Kim jong-un. Their defence minister Kim Kwan-jin claimed the North still appeared poised to launch a medium-range missile from its east coast.US Secretary of State John Kerry, on a tour of the region, warned North Korea not to conduct a missile test, saying it “will raise people’s temperatures” and further isolate the country which has already been hit with UN sanctions barring the regime from missile and nuclear activity.UK Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond told MPs he would “bet his bottom dollar” the rogue state was close to developing long-range nuclear missiles. He said it highlighted the need for Britain to keep its Trident nuclear deterrent.North Korea is expected to have big parades on July 27th, to mark 60 years since the end of the Korean war and its 65th anniversary in September.
Crowds thronged the memorial palace as soldiers paraded in front of the two giant bronze statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il
Ceremony: Orderly crowds North Korea marked the 101st anniversary of the birth of its founding father yesterday as tensions still simmered over its nuclear programme.There had been fears the rogue country would fire a missile and provoke further tensions as it did last year for the 100th anniversary of ‘Dear Leader’ Kim Il-sung, who died in 1994.But the day appeared to simply be the start of a two-day public holiday.Girls in red and pink jackets skipped along the banner-lined streets of capital Pyongyang. Crowds thronged the memorial palace as soldiers paraded in front of the two giant bronze statues of Il-sung and his son, former leader Kim Jong-il who died in 2011.But the happy public celebration was a far cry from the harsh reality of life in the state.
Memorial: Soldiers on paradeThe Mirror has published accounts of people being executed and a child starving to death on a street. In South Korea, protesters in the capital Seoul, burned effigies of the former rulers and current dictator Kim jong-un. Their defence minister Kim Kwan-jin claimed the North still appeared poised to launch a medium-range missile from its east coast.US Secretary of State John Kerry, on a tour of the region, warned North Korea not to conduct a missile test, saying it “will raise people’s temperatures” and further isolate the country which has already been hit with UN sanctions barring the regime from missile and nuclear activity.UK Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond told MPs he would “bet his bottom dollar” the rogue state was close to developing long-range nuclear missiles. He said it highlighted the need for Britain to keep its Trident nuclear deterrent.North Korea is expected to have big parades on July 27th, to mark 60 years since the end of the Korean war and its 65th anniversary in September.