North Korea’s military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party is expected to take place late in the afternoon on October 10.
A military official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, stated that intelligence suggests North Korea is currently conducting rehearsals for the parade, mobilizing equipment and missiles. With rainfall expected to be minimal at around 1 mm (about 0.04 inches) per hour later in the day, there’s a high probability the event will take place after nightfall.
This year’s parade marks the first such event in two years, following the 75th anniversary of the regime’s establishment in September 2023. While it was initially anticipated for the night of October 9 or midnight on October 10, North Korea instead hosted key foreign dignitaries—including the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev—at a celebratory performance in Pyongyang’s Rungrado 1st of May Stadium on the preceding day.
The upcoming parade, ending a two-year hiatus, is likely to showcase Pyongyang’s latest strategic weapons. Analysts expect to see the new Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), along with other advanced systems. This follows North Korea’s recent Defense Development-2025 exhibition on October 4, where an array of new weaponry was unveiled, including the Hwasong-11 hypersonic missile (an upgraded short-range ballistic missile), two new types of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and two varieties of hypersonic cruise missiles. These cutting-edge armaments are expected to feature prominently in the parade, underscoring North Korea’s continued focus on military modernization.