Photos: South Korea parades military hardware through the streets of Seoul

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South Korean soldiers give a demonstration of their skills in the traditional Korean martial art of Taekwondo. They are wearing white outfits with black belts.

South Korean soldiers show their taekwondo skills as the country marks Armed Forces Day [Kim Hong-ji/Pool via AP Photo]

Published On 27 Sep 2023

South Korea has held its first army parade since 2013, with tanks, armoured vehicles and advanced missiles rolling through the streets of Seoul in a display of military might.

The parade comes amid worsening ties with nuclear-armed North Korea.

About 4,000 troops, including a few hundred soldiers from the United States, marched along a 2km (1.24 mile) route through the rain-soaked streets of central Seoul, cheered by umbrella-bearing crowds waving South Korean flags.

They were accompanied by military bands and 170 pieces of weaponry, including drones and cruise missiles.

Cho Kyu-bok, a 75-year-old resident of Goyang, northwest of Seoul, said he came to Gwanghwamun hours before the event to get a front-row view of the new weapons.

“Weapons like the unmanned drones show how much our country has developed,” Cho told the Reuters news agency.

Fewer troops and pieces of equipment were involved than planned because of the poor weather and a flight display by South Korean military aircraft, including US-made F-35 stealth fighters, was also cancelled.

The event comes as President Yoon Suk-yeol, a conservative who took office last year, takes a more hawkish stance on North Korea, deepening security ties with the US and Japan, and making displays of weapons and military drills a cornerstone of his strategy to counter Pyongyang’s evolving nuclear and missile programmes.

Yoon began the day by reiterating that any aggression on the part of North Korea would be met with a swift response and has actively reinforced a military alliance with Washington and Tokyo since taking office last year.

President Yoon Suk-yeol waving as he walks in the parade. There are officials and military officers with him.

In a speech to mark Armed Forces Day, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (centre) warned Pyongyang that any aggression would be met with a swift response [Yonhap via EPA]

Popele smiling, cheering and waving South Korean flags as a military vehicle moves past. It is raining and the spectators are holding umbrellas

Crowds turned out to see the military hardware despite the gloomy weather [Kim Soo-hyeon/Reuters]

Military vehicles carrying rockets driving through Seoul as part of the parade.

The parade was a rare display of South Korea's military might [Anthony Wallace/AFP]

Military vehicles with drones mounted on the roof

Drones were included among the advanced weaponry [Jeon Heon-kyun/EPA]

A view of massed troops during the parade

Some 4,000 troops took part in the parade which followed a 2km (1.24 mile) route through central Seoul [Anthony Wallace/AFP]

Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) personnel march in the parade They are carrying colourful flags.

The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) personnel also joined the parade, which was once held every five years [Anthony Wallace/AFP]

A contingent of US troops from the 2nd Infantry Division's Stryker Brigade. They are marching behind their unit flag

Soldiers from the US's 2nd Infantry Division's Stryker Brigade took part in the parade. Some 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea [Yonhap via EPA]