Satellite imagery shows that North Korean military vehicles are once again amassing at a training facility in Pyongyang, possibly in preparation for a military parade that would celebrate the country’s Eighth Party Congress in January.

Between Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, hundreds of apparent vehicles began to park in grassy lots next to the Mirim parade training area, which is a 1:1 scale copy of Kim Il Sung Square. The vehicles were then rearranged on Dec. 26, and even more appeared to fill an adjacent lot by Dec. 30, according to Planet Labs medium-resolution satellite imagery.

North Korea’s last parade took place less than three months ago and made international headlines after the country rolled out a massive new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Small scale troop marching practices appear to have continued at the Mirim parade training area since that event.

In the past, vehicles parked in this area were typically identified as mostly flatbed trucks in high-resolution imagery. These trucks are used to transport soldiers who march in the parade to the actual event site in downtown. This activity has occurred before every military parade since at least 2017, according to Planet labs archived imagery, but typically around five to seven weeks before the main event.

Typical time tables aside, the recent vehicle arrangement is likely related to the upcoming military parade is the Eighth Party Congress, which is officially scheduled to begin in the first 10 days of Jan. 2021. Earlier this week, NK Pro was the first to report that practices for a civilian parade possibly related to the Party Congress were already underway in Kim Il Sung Square.

And while the last Party Congress in May 2016 concluded with only a civilian parade, some media reports suggest that a military parade component is being prepared this time. Citing anonymous sources in Pyongyang, the Seoul-based Daily NK reported that the event will involve Kim Jong Un or other military officials “reviewing” troops, but not weapons.

It’s also possible that North Korea is gearing up for a military parade celebrating the 73rd founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) on Feb. 8, though it would be rare to hold such an event during a non-round-number anniversary year.

However, the timing of vehicle arrangements observed this week better lines up with the anniversary occasion: According to satellite imagery, a similar arrangement also appeared at the end of Dec. 2017, before the Feb. 8, 2018 military parade.

The next milestone to watch for at the Mirim parade training area will be full-scale troop marching formation practices, which have typically appeared four to five weeks before North Korean parades of the past.

Edited by Kelly Kasulis