Editor’s note: Bailey Duran of Cortez has continued to report for The Journal while visiting South Korea to study the language.
On Monday, tens of thousands of people lined the streets of Seoul from the Sungyemun Gate to the Gwanghwamun Gate to celebrate the 76th anniversary of South Korea’s military.
It was also a show of the military strength of the U.S. and South Korea’s military alliance in the wake of increasing hostility with North Korea.
While the parade’s start was set for 4 p.m., thousands of people had already gathered on the street near the U.S. embassy on the parade route at 2 p.m. Elderly, families, young people and foreigners alike gathered to view the large parade marking South Korea’s Armed Forces Day for the second consecutive year.
This year, South Korea’s president Yoon Suk Yeol declared that this Armed Forces Day would be a national holiday.
The parade was held to “display the military’s dignity and combat capabilities” while “boosting the morale of the armed forces,” according to a description of the event.
In South Korea, all able-bodied men are required to serve in the armed forces for 18 to 21 months. A Korean man’s compulsory service comes into effect at the age of 18, but certain instances allow for postponement, as long as they are enlisted by the time they are 28, according to the South Korean Ministry of National Defense. In certain instances, postponements are granted past the 28 year-old mark, with the maximum age of postponement being 35 to 37 years old.
South Korea’s male celebrities and elite athletes are also required to serve in the military, no matter their status. One of the only exemptions is winning a medal at the Olympic Games or Asian Games. Even the biggest band in the world, the Grammy-nominated septet boy band BTS, took a hiatus from group activities to fulfill their military service, starting at the end of 2022.
Around 5,000 South Korean troops and 250 U.S. troops participated in the parade, along with over 40 U.S. and South Korean aircraft and fighter jets and more than 100 pieces of military equipment such as tanks, military-grade vehicles and more.
One of the noted highlights by parade organizers was the unveiling of South Korea’s new intermediate range ballistic missile, the Hyunmoo-5. According to military personnel, the missile could be used against leaders in Pyeongyang, the capital of North Korea, should North Korea ever attack Seoul or any other South Korean city.
The missile is reported to be able to carry an 8-to-10 ton warhead.
The parade also included a flyover by a U.S. B-1B Lancer, dubbed the “Swan of Death,” marking the first time the bomber has appeared for this kind of demonstration in South Korea. The jet’s flight sparked backlash from North Korean leaders, who expressed their disdain over the jet’s flight on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea referred to the parade as a “military bluff.”
Other aircraft included military Apache helicopters, flying below the tops of the street’s skyscrapers, F-35 jets and a KF-21, among others.
Since May and as recently as last week, North Korea has launched thousands of balloons into South Korea that contain feces, garbage and other hazardous materials. Residents and visitors are alerted when the balloons arrive, and are urged to leave them alone and alert police of their location.
In response, South Korea has been using huge speakers to play popular K-pop songs, like BTS’s “Dynamite,” over the border, as North Korean citizens are prohibited from listening to k-pop and most Western music.
The start of the parade included a sword demonstration from individuals dressed as Korean warriors, followed later by the entrance of Yoon and other government and military officials.
Soon after, the first jets flew over, coloring the cloudy sky with jet smoke in purple, yellow and pink. Military helicopters followed the jets, hovering above the tanks rolling through the street.
The street was lined with various sizes and types of tanks, military vehicles, missiles, drones and more. The branches of South Korea’s military and their bands marched through the streets.
People cheered as each unit of the parade passed by, with many people waving South Korean and U.S. flags. Children sat atop their parents’ shoulders to watch the parade.
Toward the end of the parade, members of the U.S. military, including the U.S. military band, marched in solidarity with the South Koreans.
To close out the parade, two more jet flyovers occurred to the cheers of the crowd while a giant South Korean flag was lifted into the sky near Gwanghwamun Palace.
“When the North Korean communists started the Korean War,” Yoon said, ”our military fought bravely and shed blood to protect the free (South Korea). Even now, they stand firm against the constant threats and provocations from North Korea, carrying out the important mission of safeguarding the nation and its people.”
“If North Korea ever tries to use a nuclear weapon, it will be met with a decisive and overwhelming response from our armed forces and alliance with the U.S., and that will be the day its regime ends,” he said.
