anniversary military parade, a day
ahead of the Winter Olympics in
South Korea.
The annual parade, marking the
founding of its army, is usually
held in April but was moved to 8
February this year.
Ahead of the parade, Korean
Central Television is showing video
archive of previous leaders, the
local landscape and propaganda
films.
It is not clear what time the
parade will begin.
North Korea had earlier dismissed
criticism of its plans to hold the
parade a day before the Olympics,
saying no-one had the right to
take issue.
"It is a custom and very basic
common sense that any country in
the world takes the founding of
its military very seriously and
celebrates it with extravagant
events," said the ruling Workers'
Party newspaper, the Rodong
Sinmun.
The US has said it would rather
the parade not take place
as the focus should be on the
Games.
On Thursday, North Korea said it
has no intention of meeting US
officials during the Games,
according to the North's official
KCNA news agency.
South Korean government officials
had said last month that some
13,000 troops and 200 pieces of
equipment had been spotted near
an airport in Pyongyang in what
appeared to be a rehearsal for the
parade.
Experts say North Korea is
expected to showcase its long-
range missiles.
"What we should look out for
during the parade is North Korea's
showcase of its missile vehicles,
how many of them there are, and
if they are carrying any new
missile designs," said David
Schmerler, a North Korea analyst
at the James Martin Center for
Nonproliferation Studies.
"However, we also need to
remember that just because they
showcase something doesn't mean
they are working on it. In the
past, North Korea has paraded
missiles that have never come to
production."
"In 2012, Pyongyang showcased its
Hwasong-13, which was never
tested and as far as we know, has
been totally abandoned."
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This year's celebration will mark
the 70th anniversary of the
foundation of the Korean People's
Army, which was established on 8
February 1948. Pyongyang
previously held its main military
celebration on 25 April.
The military parade comes just
one day before the start of the
Winter Olympic Games, which will
run from 9 to 25 February in the
alpine town of Pyeongchang in
South Korea.
Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North
Korean leader Kim Jong-un is to
attend the Games
, which will see both Koreas march
under one flag at the opening
ceremony.
US Vice-President Mike Pence will
also be attending the opening
ceremony in Pyeongchang on
Friday, saying he wanted to "make
sure North Korea doesn't use the
powerful symbolism in the
backdrop of the [Games] to paper
over the truth about their
regime".
The main organiser of the
Pyeongchang Olympics has said
that the parade will not affect
the "dynamics" of the Olympic
Games.
Lee Hee-beom added that all 193
UN member states, including North
Korea, have supported the UN
Olympic Truce Resolution for the
Winter Games.
Under the truce, which begins
seven days before the opening of
the Winter Games and runs until
the seventh day after the closing
of the Winter Paralympics, all UN
member states are urged to stop
all hostilities.
