<p>North Korea is preparing for a massive military parade in its capital to mark the 75th anniversary of its ruling party next month, satellite images indicated Friday, even as the country strengthens its anti-coronavirus measures.</p>.<p>The images, provided by Maxar, a Colorado-based satellite imagery company, show thousands of people assembled in formation near Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square and rehearsing for a military parade. The anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party is on Oct. 10.</p>.<p>North Korea often holds military parades featuring goose-stepping soldiers and new weapons systems on state anniversaries to bolster unity and intimidate enemies.</p>.<p>North Korea insists it hasn't had any coronavirus cases, a claim widely disputed by many foreign experts.</p>.<p>On Monday, the North's Korean Central News Agency said the country is intensifying its emergency anti-coronavirus efforts.</p>.<p>It said authorities are trying to boost the anti-pandemic atmosphere to ensure that the anti-virus campaign “is waged consistently without a moment's indolence, slackness and carelessness."</p>.<p>North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for strong unity among the country's 25 million people as it faces multiple crises including the pandemic, damage from a recent typhoon, and ongoing US-led economic sanctions. He closed the country's border with China, its biggest trading partner, in January over virus concerns.</p>.<p>Experts say the border closure has likely worsened North Korea's already-troubled economy.</p>.<p>Earlier this week, the nominee for chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff told lawmakers that North Korea might conduct its first underwater ballistic missile test in about a year ahead of the Oct. 10 ruling party anniversary.</p>
<p>North Korea is preparing for a massive military parade in its capital to mark the 75th anniversary of its ruling party next month, satellite images indicated Friday, even as the country strengthens its anti-coronavirus measures.</p>.<p>The images, provided by Maxar, a Colorado-based satellite imagery company, show thousands of people assembled in formation near Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square and rehearsing for a military parade. The anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party is on Oct. 10.</p>.<p>North Korea often holds military parades featuring goose-stepping soldiers and new weapons systems on state anniversaries to bolster unity and intimidate enemies.</p>.<p>North Korea insists it hasn't had any coronavirus cases, a claim widely disputed by many foreign experts.</p>.<p>On Monday, the North's Korean Central News Agency said the country is intensifying its emergency anti-coronavirus efforts.</p>.<p>It said authorities are trying to boost the anti-pandemic atmosphere to ensure that the anti-virus campaign “is waged consistently without a moment's indolence, slackness and carelessness."</p>.<p>North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for strong unity among the country's 25 million people as it faces multiple crises including the pandemic, damage from a recent typhoon, and ongoing US-led economic sanctions. He closed the country's border with China, its biggest trading partner, in January over virus concerns.</p>.<p>Experts say the border closure has likely worsened North Korea's already-troubled economy.</p>.<p>Earlier this week, the nominee for chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff told lawmakers that North Korea might conduct its first underwater ballistic missile test in about a year ahead of the Oct. 10 ruling party anniversary.</p>