North Korea on Saturday celebrated its biggest holiday with a military parade showing off its latest missiles, but the nation did not carry out a major weapons test.
As tensions between North Korea and the U.S. rose in recent days, speculation had grown that Kim Jong Un would conduct a nuclear test or other major military test.
Instead, North Korea held a parade displaying a variety of ballistic missiles it has recently tested among other weapons, according to the Washington Post, as the country marked the 105th birthday of Kim Il Sung, the nation’s founder and Kim Jong Un’s grandfather.
{mosads}Kim Jong Un has engaged in a war of words with President Trump amid recent missile tests. A report emerged this week that Trump is ready to launch a preemptive strike against North Korea if officials believe Pyongyang is going to go through with a nuclear weapons test, although several outlets questioned the report.
North Korea responded by warning of a “merciless retaliatory strike” if the U.S. acts first.
China on Friday warned both sides to cool their aggressive posturing, “to prevent irreversible damage to the situation on the Korean Peninsula.”
Trump has sought to pressure China to play a bigger role in deterring North Korea’s military tests.
Vice President Pence plans will visit South Korea on Saturday amid the rising tensions.