To mark its 70th birthday, North Korea held a military parade, put on a massive show with its first “mass games” artistic and gymnastic display in five years, and finished with a torchlight parade. Tens of thousands of military personnel and performers had been preparing for months for the displays in Kim Il Sung Square and May Day Stadium in Pyongyang. According to those in attendance, the themes this year appeared to emphasize international relationships, and to focus a little less on military might.
Mass Games and Parades: North Korea Celebrates Its 70th Anniversary
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Read morePerformers hold up cards to form patterns during the "Glorious Country" mass games held in conjunction with the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding in Pyongyang, North Korea, on September 9, 2018. #
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Read moreKorean People's Army (KPA) soldiers take part in a mass rally in Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on September 9, 2018. #
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Read moreAirplanes forming the number 70 fly in formation and fire flares during the 70th anniversary parade in Pyongyang on September 9, 2018. #
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Read moreSelf-propelled artillery units roll past during a 70th anniversary military parade in Pyongyang on September 9, 2018 #
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Read moreKPA soldiers march during a mass rally in Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on September 9, 2018. #
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Read moreNorth Korean soldiers march during a parade in Pyongyang on September 9, 2018. #
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Read moreSoldiers high-step in the military parade in Pyongyang on September 9, 2018. #
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Read moreCamouflaged soldiers march in the 70th anniversary parade in Pyongyang on September 9, 2018. #
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Read moreKPA soldiers stand in formation in Kim Il Sung Square on September 9, 2018. #
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Read moreKPA tanks take part in a military parade in Kim Il Sung Square on September 9, 2018. #
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Read moreA portrait of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is formed in May Day Stadium during the "Glorious Country" mass games held in conjunction with the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding in Pyongyang on September 9, 2018. #
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Read moreParticipants perform during the "Glorious Country" mass games in Pyongyang on September 9, 2018. #
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Read moreParticipants form an image with cards during the mass games in Pyongyang on September 9, 2018. #
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Read moreNorth Korean card holders at the start of the mass games on September 9, 2018 #
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Read moreParticipants perform in May Day Stadium on September 9, 2018. #
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Read morePart of the performance in May Day Stadium on September 9, 2018 #
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Read moreNorth Korean performers hold up cards to form an image on September 9, 2018. #
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Read moreMilitary personnel and members of the public watch the mass games in May Day Stadium on September 9, 2018. #
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Read moreYoung participants perform in the "Glorious Country" mass games in Pyongyang on September 9, 2018. #
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Read morePerformers take part in the mass games on September 9, 2018. #
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Read moreParticipants hold up cards in May Day Stadium on September 9, 2018. #
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Read moreNorth Korean soldiers react to the presence of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, during the "Glorious Country" mass games on September 9, 2018. #
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Read morePerformers gather to leave after taking part in the mass games on September 9, 2018. #
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Read moreNorth Korean students take part in a torchlight march held in conjunction with the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding in Pyongyang on September 10, 2018. #
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Read moreNorth Korean journalists film a torchlight parade above Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on September 10, 2018. #
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Read moreParticipants march in a torchlight parade in Kim Il Sung Square on September 10, 2018. #
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Read moreNorth Koreans wearing colored visors march during the torchlight parade on September 10, 2018. #
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Read moreFireworks explode over participants carrying torches during a torchlight procession as part of the celebration marking the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding in Pyongyang on September 10, 2018. #
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