N. Korea marks key anniversary but no word on army parade

By HYUNG-JIN KIM and KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea is marking a key state anniversary with calls for stronger loyalty to leader Kim Jong Un. However, there was no word on an expected military parade Friday to display new weapons amid heightened animosities with the United States. The 110th birth anniversary of Kim’s late grandfather and state founder Kim Il Sung comes after North Korea conducted a spate of weapons tests in recent months, including its first full-range intercontinental ballistic missile launch since 2017. Experts say North Korea aims to expand its arsenal and ramp up pressure on the United States while nuclear diplomacy is stalled. There were indications Pyongyang could soon launch fresh provocations like an additional missile test, a rocket to launch a spy satellite or even a nuclear bomb test.