WASHINGTON DC – North Korean authorities refrained this year from conducting a military parade at the annual “Day of The Sun” celebration, held today to commemorate the birth of founding leader Kim Il Sung.

A Kyodo News dispatch from Pyongyang today reported on the festivities, noting that unlike the previous year, “no military parades or other grandiose events were scheduled for the occasion”.

South Korean government officials earlier told Yonhap News that they had been expecting North Korea to conduct a large military parade, noting that soldiers and equipment had been seen amassing near Pyongyang.

Although there was no military parade, South