Large-scale military parade in Seoul for 1st time in decade

Seoul, Sep 13 (IANS) South Korea will stage a large-scale military parade in Seoul this month for the first time in a decade, featuring tanks, fighter jets and other advanced assets, to mark the 75th anniversary of Armed Forces Day, defence officials said on Wednesday.

Some 4,000 troops and over 170 pieces of military equipment, including K2 battle tanks, the country's new "high-power" missile, and attack drones, will parade from Sungnyemun Gate to Gwanghwamun Square on September 26 to commemorate the landmark anniversary, Yonhap News Agency reported citing the  officials as saying.

This year's event will proceed under the theme of "strong military, strong security, and peace through strength" to demonstrate the military's resolve to defend the country, with a focus on sending a message to North Korea against provocations, one of the officials said.

The country has usually held a military parade every five years to mark Armed Forces Day on October 1 but such a parade was last staged in 2013.

The event did not take place under the preceding Moon Jae-in government, which pushed for inter-Korean reconciliation.

During the upcoming parade, the Air Force's Black Eagles aerobatic team and Apache attack helicopters will stage flights over the troops, while the public will be able to join the march in its final section.

Over 300 combat troops from the Eighth US Army, under the US Forces Korea, will also take part in the parade for the first time in a show of the combined defense posture as the two countries mark the 70th anniversary of their alliance this year.

The Ministry also plans to hold a commemorative ceremony earlier in the day at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam to be attended by some 10,000 people, including foreign veterans of the Korean War and their family members.

Homegrown weapons systems, including the KF-21 fighter jet under development, the long-range surface-to-air missile, as well as surveillance and strike drones of the Drone Operations Command established earlier this month, will be on display.

The event is also set to feature a large-scale formation flight by over 100 aircraft, including a KF-21 jet, F-35A stealth fighters and the country's Light-Armed Helicopters.

The US military will also send seven aircraft, including F-16, A-10 and F-35 jets.

Some 200 South Korean and US troops will also stage parachute drops at the air base to demonstrate combined operational capabilities.