South Korea staged its largest military parade in a decade on Tuesday at an air base south of Seoul as President Park Geun-Hye warned of the “grave” nuclear threat posed by North Korea.
Some 11,000 troops and 120 aircraft took part in the event, which showed off the South’s latest technologies, Agence France-Presse reported.
The ballistic Hyeonmu-2, with a range of 190 miles, and the Hyeonmu-3, a cruise missile with a range of more than 620 miles, were put on public display for the first time, Reuters reported.
The parade marked the 65th anniversary of the founding of South Korea’s armed forces, the report said.
“The situation on the Korean peninsula … is very grave,” Miss Park said in her speech. “We must build a strong anti-North deterrence until the day the North drops its nuclear arms and makes the right choice for its people and for peace on the Korean peninsula.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who was visiting to discuss North Korea’s nuclear program, was the guest of honor and stood behind a podium at the event.
Mr. Hagel visited the Demilitarized Zone on Monday and said there was no plan to cut the number of U.S. troops stationed in the South from 28,500, Reuters said.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.