South Korea unveils 'monster missile' at revived annual military parade

South Korea showcased a ballistic missile capable of carrying an eight-ton warhead and featured a flypast of a US bomber at a military parade in Seoul on Tuesday, a show of force now held annually to signal readiness to respond to North Korean threats.

The Hyunmoo-5 missile, successfully tested last year, was displayed at the Armed Forces Day parade at a Seoul air base, involving some 5,300 troops, 340 types of military equipment and aircraft flypasts. Another smaller-scale parade took place in downtown Seoul, drawing thousands of spectators.

For decades such military parades had been held only infrequently in South Korea. But last year President Yoon Suk Yeol revived the tradition of holding them annually, in line with his "peace through strength" mantra.

Military officials have said Tuesday's parade was partly intended to showcase South Korea's military might as a deterrence to North Korea, which frequently stages parades featuring weapons such as intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The South Korean parade included a flypast by a US B-1B strategic bomber for the first time, while the US Eighth Army band and an armoured Stryker brigade also took part.

In a speech ahead of the parade, Yoon warned Pyongyang against using nuclear weapons and derided what he called its illegal military cooperation with Russia.

He also celebrated the launch of the Strategic Command, tasked with responding to North Korea's weapons of mass destruction.

"If North Korea attempts to use nuclear weapons, it will face a resolute, overwhelming response from our military and the US alliance," Yoon said.

"That day will see the end of the North Korean regime."

Dubbed a "monster missile" by South Korean media, the Hyunmoo-5 was a centrepiece of the parade, specifically designed to penetrate underground bunkers.

• World