Yoon has promised a swift and overwhelming response against any aggression by Pyongyang, and has actively reinforced a military alliance with Washington and Tokyo since taking office last year.
Tuesday’s parade will kick off at an airbase in Seongnam on the outskirts of Seoul, which will put on public display Hyunmoo missiles, L-SAM missile interceptors, F-35 jets and the country’s first domestically developed fighter, the KF-21.
Hyunmoo is one of South Korea’s latest missiles, which analysts say is an integral part of Seoul’s plans for striking the North during a conflict, while the L-SAM is designed to hit incoming missiles at altitudes of 50 to 60km.
The event will also feature a joint flyover by South Korean and US military aircraft to demonstrate an “upgraded” combined defence posture, the ministry said.
The parade comes a week after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un returned from a trip to Russia, during which he and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to boost military cooperation.
Yoon has said that if Russia helped North Korea enhance its weapons programs in return for assistance for its war in Ukraine, it would be “a direct provocation”.
Source: CNA
