(PatriotWise.com) — On Tuesday, thousands of troops and various weapons systems, including drones and ballistic missiles, paraded through the capital of South Korea as part of Seoul’s largest Armed Forces Day ceremony in a decade, the Associated Press reported.
The ceremony included the first military parade through the streets of Seoul since 2013, featuring drones, tanks, artillery, and ballistic missiles. Around 4,000 South Korean soldiers carrying flags or rifles marched behind, accompanied by about 300 US soldiers.
Addressing the troops in a central plaza after the parade, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol described the parade as “imposing” and told the soldiers that he believed the South Korean people “would trust you and have faith in our national security.”
Since taking office in 2022, President Yoon has pushed to bolster South Korea’s defenses while expanding joint military exercises with the United States, all in response to the increased nuclear threat from North Korea.
The Armed Forces Day ceremony comes less than two weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to far eastern Russia to visit key technology and military sites and meet with President Vladimir Putin.
Pyongyang is reportedly seeking Russian technology to help develop more advanced weapons systems, including nuclear submarines and long-range missiles, which would pose a significant security threat to South Korea and the United States.
In a separate Armed Forces Day ceremony held at a military airport earlier on Tuesday, President Yoon vowed to build a military strong enough to instill “fear in the enemy.” He said South Korea’s “battle-ready combat capabilities” coupled with a “solid readiness posture” will ensure that its military can “immediately retaliate” against any provocation from the North.
The South Korean president warned Pyongyang that if nuclear weapons are used, South Korea and the United States will end Kim Jong Un’s regime with “an overwhelming response.”
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