Experts say North Korea aims to expand its arsenal and ramp up pressure on the United States while nuclear diplomacy is stalled. Kim Jong Un became a third-generation leader after his father Kim Jong Il died in late 2011. On Friday, residents of Pyongyang, the capital, bowed and laid bouquets of flowers near the bronze statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. North Korea often marks key state anniversaries with huge military parades featuring newly built missiles, especially during anniversaries that end in zero and five. North Korea has recently resumed its trademark harsh rhetoric against its rivals.

Source: ABC News April 15, 2022 14:01 UTC