SEOUL – NK News has obtained exclusive photos of Saturday’s “Victory Day” parade showing close-up details of North Korea’s military that tell a very different story from the sterner file photos distributed by international media.

The high resolution photos paint a different portrait to the straight-faced, goose-stepping and robotic soldiers normally associated with North Korean military parades. These images were taken minutes after the convoy passed the main square, showing the excitement of the soldiers and adding a more human touch.

They also reveal telling clues about the state of some of North Korea