North Korean Air Koryo planes have been busy in recent days flying across the country in what appears to be part of preparations for an upcoming military parade that could take place as soon as Sunday night, NK News analysis of satellite imagery shows.

Soldier and civilian parade training has also appeared to continue over the weekend as the country is set to celebrate the 90th founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army on Monday, April 25. 

One of the largest planes in national carrier Air Koryo’s fleet, an Ilyushin-62, showed up in the northeastern city of Samjiyon in a Planet Labs satellite image taken on Saturday morning, around the same time one was missing from the Pyongyang International Airport where it is typically parked.

Air Koryo planes with staircases attached appeared to be arranged in front of the Pyongyang International Airport terminal for arrival ceremonies on April 22 and 23 | Images: Planet Labs PBH, edited by NK News

Four other Air Koryo planes appeared parked in front of the Pyongyang airport terminal on both Friday afternoon and Saturday morning in different arrangements, some with staircases attached. They may have been dropping off guests after flights on both days, as planes have frequently appeared in similar positions at the airport for arrival ceremonies before major events in the past. 

Read More: Everything you need to know about North Korea’s imminent military parade

In another sign that a significant number of guests are in the capital, dozens of buses appeared parked at the April 25 Hotel on Sunday — a typical sight in the days surrounding large party meetings and military parades. The hotel is located next to the military parade training base.

At 11 a.m. Sunday, the buses were gone from the hotel and a similar number appeared parked at the April 25 House of Culture across town, indicating a large meeting or event was underway at the venue.

North Korean state media has not announced details of a military parade, but military vehicles and tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians have been practicing parade formations outdoors for weeks.

The latest round of training began in late January, ahead of another expected date for the military parade — the April 15 national holiday celebrating the birthday of the country’s founding leader Kim Il Sung — but no military parade occurred that day and signs pointed to the April 25 military holiday as the next likely date when training appeared to continue in the last week.

Apparent jet training over the capital past midnight multiple times in recent weeks suggests North Korea will hold this parade at night, just as it has done for the last three military parades dating back to Oct. 2020. 

Soldiers appeared to conduct driving practice with large military vehicles – possibly missile launcher vehicles – on April 16 . More than an estimated 12,000 soldiers then appeared to conduct full-scale marching block formation training the next day inside the replica Kim Il Sung Square at the Mirim military parade training base in southeast Pyongyang. | Images: Planet Labs PBH, edited by NK News

If it takes place at night, the parade could begin late Sunday night and run past midnight or it could kick off Monday evening. State media could release the first details of the event as early as Monday morning and as late as Tuesday afternoon, depending on when the expected event takes place. 

North Korea could use the opportunity to show off new intercontinental ballistic missiles or other new weapons leader Kim Jong Un said were under development last year. 

Edited by Arius Derr

Updated on April 25 at 8:18 a.m. with details about buses appearing at a meeting venue on Sunday