▲ A conference of the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea takes place Jan. 28, 2026, in this photo published by the Korean Central News Agency two days later. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
▲ This Korean Central News Agency image shows a military parade at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang in January 2021, held to mark the eighth congress of the Workers' Party of Korea. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

(2nd LD) N Korea-party congress

(2nd LD) N. Korean soldiers practicing potential military parade ahead of party congress: report

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SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- Hundreds of North Korean soldiers were seen practicing marching formations at a training field in Pyongyang in what appeared to be drills for a military parade marking the upcoming party congress, according to a report.

38 North, a U.S. website monitoring North Korea, published the report Monday (U.S. time), citing commercial satellite imagery taken the same day at Mirim Airfield in eastern Pyongyang.

The imagery showed several troop formations on the airfield, including one in the shape of a hammer, sickle and calligraphy brush, the emblem of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).

"These preparatory drills are likely for a parade to mark the upcoming Ninth Party Congress," 38 North said.

Mirim Airfield is where North Korean troops practice whenever the country prepares a military parade for a key event.

The satellite imagery suggests the North may stage a military parade to mark its upcoming ninth congress of the WPK.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it has detected signs of parade preparations at venues such as the Mirim Airfield and the Kim Il Sung Square where similar activities took place in the past.

"It is yet unclear whether a military parade will take place. So far, preparations seemed to be taking place on the civilian level," JCS spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun said in a press briefing.

The remarks suggest the North could stage a paramilitary parade involving reserve troops, not active personnel, as it has done previously.

The congress, a once-every-five-years meeting, is the highest decision-making body in North Korea and sets five-year plans for economic, defense, diplomatic and other policies.

The North has not announced the date of the upcoming congress. South Korea's government predicts it will likely be held in early or mid-February.

On Jan. 24, the North reported that meetings of the party's city and county organizations had been convened, marking preliminary steps for the party congress. A party congress typically convenes two to three weeks after such city- and county-level party meetings are reported.

38 North pointed to the North's recent series of ceremonies marking the completion of economic projects, saying, "If there are more economic projects to showcase or weapons to test before the Party Congress commences, the event could take longer to open."

An official at South Korea's unification ministry said the date of the congress would likely be set at a future meeting of the WPK Politburo.

The North has completed most of the construction projects it pledged to finish by the ninth congress, except for the fourth and final stage of the Hwasong district housing construction project in Pyongyang. The party congress may convene after the construction project is completed, the official predicted.

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