The Democratic People's Republic of Korea held a military parade and rally in Pyongyang on Thursday.

Over ten thousand troops trained for the event at a military airfield for several weeks. Residents of the captial city had practiced spelling out slogans with bouquets of plastic flowers. The military showcase took place a day before the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea. The parade is an annual event, usually held in April to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the country's army.