North Korea’s main military parade training base has become active again in recent days, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery, suggesting Pyongyang may hold another parade this year.

The new activity comes after large scale parades last October and February, each involving months of marching formation practices for over 10,000 participating troops. 

Planet Labs imagery shows what appears to be dozens of troop transport trucks arriving at the Mirim base between Monday and Tuesday in a parking lot where such vehicles are parked throughout major parade training periods. The lot is typically kept empty at other times.

The apparent trucks remained in another image taken Wednesday. A comparison of Tuesday’s image with a Feb. 2 high-resolution image taken during confirmed parade training suggests 125 to 150 trucks have arrived so far.

Unidentified materials also appeared around the edges of the site’s replica of Kim Il Sung Square on Tuesday. This may be related to the installation of propaganda displays which have become a mainstay of training periods at the base in recent years. 

A separate secure compound inside the Mirim base has also been unusually active in recent weeks, with Planet Labs imagery showing roofwork being carried out on garages for weapons and launch vehicles since June 2.

White-colored materials and signs of excavation also appeared between May 30 and June 2 in a grassy area at the northeast corner of the compound. This is where a temporary shelter was built to cover an overflow of launch vehicles ahead of North Korea’s April 2022 parade. 

The training period for soldiers at Mirim has increased in recent years, with the trucks arriving around 16 weeks before the February parade this year and 14 weeks before last October’s. Troops trained there for eight to 10 weeks before major military parades in 2022 and 2023.

Training appears to be shorter — from two to five weeks — ahead of paramilitary parades, which are largely similar to regular military parades but feature different lineups of formations and smaller weapons systems. 

These trends, as well as North Korea’s calendar of known holidays, point to the possibility of a military or paramilitary parade being held in the coming months.

Possible dates include Pyongyang’s Korean War “victory” day on July 27, national foundation day on Sept. 9 and the ruling party foundation day on Oct. 10.

None of these holidays are round-number anniversaries ending in zero or five, meaning it would be unusual, but not unheard of, to hold a large-scale parade to celebrate them.

For instance, North Korea held its first paramilitary parade on Sept. 9, 2021 to celebrate the odd-numbered 73rd national founding anniversary. Another was held on the 75th anniversary in 2023. This year will be the 78th.

Last October’s military parade featured a range of nuclear weapons, drones and a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), in addition to a large contingent of soldiers; however, the February post-Party Congress event notably did not feature a weapons procession.

Edited by Alannah Hill