Home

  • Washington (AFP) - 02/04/2018 - 12:40

    At least two killed in South Carolina train collision: US police

  • Jerusalem (AFP) - 02/04/2018 - 11:05

    Israel 'legalising' rogue settlement in response to murder: Netanyahu

  • Madrid (AFP) - 02/04/2018 - 10:43

    Bodies of around 20 migrants recovered from sea: Spanish official

  • Nablus (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - 02/03/2018 - 21:49

    Palestinian shot dead by Israeli army during West Bank raid: health ministry

  • Macerata (Italy) (AFP) - 02/03/2018 - 21:17

    Italy shooting motivated by 'racial hatred': Interior minister

  • Beirut (AFP) - 02/03/2018 - 20:36

    Syria jihadists claim downing of Russia plane: propaganda arm

  • Peshawar (Pakistan) (AFP) - 02/03/2018 - 18:23

    11 soldiers killed in Pakistan suicide bombing: military

  • Damascus (AFP) - 02/03/2018 - 18:20

    Syria blasts US accusations on chemical weapons use as 'lies'

  • Moscow (AFP) - 02/03/2018 - 18:19

    Russia confirms pilot killed after plane downed over Syria

  • Ankara (AFP) - 02/03/2018 - 18:17

    Five Turkish troops killed in attack on tank in Syria operation: army

  • Beirut (AFP) - 02/03/2018 - 17:46

    Russian pilot killed after Syria rebels down plane: monitor

  • Beirut (AFP) - 02/03/2018 - 16:25

    Syria rebels down Russian plane, capture pilot: monitor

  • Moscow (AFP) - 02/03/2018 - 14:53

    Moscow denounces "anti-Russian" US nuclear policy

  • Rome (AFP) - 02/03/2018 - 13:08

    Four wounded in drive-by gun attack in Italy: media

  • United Nations (United States) (AFP) - 02/03/2018 - 00:39

    N. Korea flouts sanctions, earning $200 mln from banned exports: UN

  • Washington (AFP) - 02/03/2018 - 00:19

    US Fed orders Wells Fargo to halt expansion after 'pervasive misconduct'

  • New York (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 22:07

    Dow falls more than 650 points, down 2.6% in biggest drop since Sept 2015

  • Paris (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 21:03

    Islam scholar Tariq Ramadan charged with rape: legal source

  • New York (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 20:32

    Dow down 2% as US stock sell-off accelerates

  • Washington (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 20:31

    Pentagon pushes for new, low-yield nuclear bombs

  • Caracas (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 19:48

    Venezuela's Maduro confirmed by party as candidate for re-election

  • Washington (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 19:28

    Democrats warn Trump of 'constitutional crisis' if probe chief sacked

  • Washington (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 18:35

    Congress releases memo alleging FBI abuse of power

  • Washington (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 18:14

    Trump declassifies memo alleging FBI abuse of power

  • Washington (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 17:39

    Trump hosts North Korean defectors in Oval Office

  • Washington (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 15:36

    US concerned sarin gas used in Syria: Mattis

  • Chicago (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 15:29

    Nassar sentencing hearing halted as father lunges at disgraced doctor

  • Washington (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 14:35

    US adds 200,000 new jobs in January, unemployment steady at 4.1%

  • New York (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 14:27

    ExxonMobil Q4 profits nearly quintuple to $8.4 bn on US tax reform

  • London (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 14:12

    London mosque terror attacker jailed for at least 43 years

  • Washington (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 13:00

    Trump accuses Justice Dept, FBI of pro-Democrat bias

  • London (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 12:35

    UK, EU Brexit negotiators to meet in London on Monday: official

  • Colombo (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 11:51

    Maldives' Nasheed vows to run for president

  • Geneva (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 11:22

    90 migrants feared dead in boat capsize off Libya: UN

  • Marseille (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 10:03

    Five dead after two army helicopters crash in France: investigators

  • Frankfurt am Main (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 07:33

    Deutsche Bank reports 512 mn euro loss in 2017

  • Tokyo (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 07:31

    Sony profits soar more than tenfold, forecast revised up

  • Theunissen (Afrique du Sud) (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 06:01

    All 955 miners trapped in S.Africa resurface unharmed: mining company

  • Shanghai (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 04:38

    Car slams into pedestrians in Shanghai, 18 hurt: government

  • Theunissen (Afrique du Sud) (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 04:28

    Several miners among 950 trapped in S. Africa resurface

  • Havana (AFP) - 02/02/2018 - 02:38

    Fidel Castro's eldest son commits suicide: Cuba state media

  • San Francisco (AFP) - 02/01/2018 - 22:49

    Apple reports $20 bn profit in record-setting quarter

  • San Francisco (AFP) - 02/01/2018 - 22:19

    Google parent Alphabet reports $3 bn loss on tax provision

  • Washington (AFP) - 02/01/2018 - 21:26

    Trump to approve release of explosive memo: White House

  • Washington (AFP) - 02/01/2018 - 19:13

    US not ruling out military strikes after new chemical attacks in Syria: official

  • Colombo (AFP) - 02/01/2018 - 19:07

    Maldives court orders release of political prisoners

  • London (AFP) - 02/01/2018 - 17:06

    Man found guilty of fatal London mosque terror attack

  • Johannesburg (AFP) - 02/01/2018 - 15:44

    950 miners trapped in S.Africa after power outage: company

You are here

News

North Korea defends military parade before Olympics

KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/File / STR The parade marking the founding of North Korea's military was held on April 25 for years, but will take place on February 8 starting this year

North Korea on Saturday defended its plan to stage a military parade the day before the opening of the Winter Olympics in the South.

Pyongyang plans to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of its military on February 8.

The annual parade was held on April 25 for years, but the government announced last month that starting this year, it would take place on February 8.

"Nobody has the right to take issue" with the event, said Rodong Sinmun, the official daily of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party.

"It is a custom and very basic common sense that any country in the world takes the founding anniversary of its military very seriously and celebrates it."

The Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, open on February 9.

Satellite photos have shown North Korean soldiers and armoured vehicles apparently rehearsing for a parade that could be seen as a show of military strength.

Critics have accused Pyongyang of rescheduling the parade to ruin the atmosphere at the Winter Olympics.

Rodong Sinmun dismissed the allegations as "malicious", noting that North Korea's regular army was created on February 8 seven decades ago.

"This amounts to arguing that we knew 70 years ago the Olympics will take place in the South on February 9, 2018," the newspaper said.

South Korean unification minister Cho Myoung-Gyon's recent comment that the parade is "highly likely to be a threatening one" also prompted a warning from the paper.

Such criticism, the Rodong Sinmun said, would sour the opening of the Winter Olympics.

The North is participating in the Games after its leader Kim Jong-Un abruptly announced his willingness to attend in his New Year's address.

The move was seen as an attempt to ease searing tensions on the Korean peninsula over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes.

North Korea on Monday called off a joint cultural performance with the South ahead of the forthcoming Winter Olympics to protest criticism of the military parade by South Korean media.

Back to summary

AFP's worldwide network

The global network of Agence France Presse covers 151 countries

Find out more
Find out more

Contact us

If you have news to share or a question, comment or suggestion, contact us via...