Commercial satellite imagery has for months shown North Korean troops practicing for a major military parade that is expected to take place this week, according to international analysts.
Such parades are typically held at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang and are often used to showcase new weapons, including ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads.
The last four military parades have been held after dark.
Seoul-based NK News, citing video obtained, reported that illuminated aircraft flew over Pyongyang at about 1 a.m. Wednesday, and music could be heard from the square, suggesting a parade was imminent.
Despite UN Security Council resolutions and sanctions, North Korea has proceeded with restricted nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development.
Last year, North Korea tested its largest-ever intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), amid a record year of launches, and officials in Seoul and Washington say it has resumed nuclear weapons testing for the first time since 2017. Have prepared to do.
South Korea and the United States have stepped up military drills to counter North Korea, which Pyongyang has condemned.