In sub-zero temperatures at Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square Saturday morning, thousands of civilians were seen practicing in giant formations of slogans and symbols which they will have to perform during an upcoming military parade, according to NK Pro analysis of satellite imagery. 

The Planet Labs images, taken around 10:30 and 11:00 a.m. KST, are the first to capture civilian parade training this year.

Soldiers also appeared to continue large-scale goosestep training at a military facility across town, which has been ongoing daily along with weapons vehicle training since December. The latter activity points to the upcoming parade likely involving large mobile missile launchers. 

The timing of the start of civilian training this year suggests the parade will take place in February. 

The Feb. 8 holiday celebrating the Korean People’s Army (KPA) 75th founding anniversary and the Feb. 16 birthday of Kim Jong Il are likely dates for the event. Kim mentioned plans to celebrate a niche military anniversary on Feb. 6 in a recent speech, making that another possible but less likely parade date. 

Formation training in Kim Il Sung Square has started to appear in satellite imagery around three to four weeks before the last four major military parades dating back to Sept. 2018.

Notably, however, it appeared around Jan. 21 in 2018 ahead of a parade on Feb. 8 that year, matching this year’s first appearance and further supporting the KPA anniversary as a likely date. 

Edited by Arius Derr