Why the South Korean government made this year's Armed Forces Day a special holiday and held a large-scale military parade

A large-scale military parade was held in South Korea on October 1st, which is designated as "Armed Forces Day." About 3,000 soldiers marched through downtown Seoul. The military parade was held to show a tough stance against North Korea.
The event was revived for the first time in 10 years last year under the administration of President Yoon Seok-yeol, who is in power today. It was held for the second year in a row, and this year it was a large-scale event, with over 80 military aircraft in attendance. President Yoon
The presidential office explained that the purpose of holding the military parade was to "boost the morale of the military and show appreciation for their efforts," but South Korea's public broadcaster KBS
"It is believed that the purpose of the event is to send a warning message to North Korea, which continues to develop nuclear weapons and missiles," the ministry said. The "Armed Forces Day" on October 1 is a day to demonstrate the dignity and fighting power of the South Korean military both at home and abroad.
In order to boost the morale of the national army, it was established in 1956 by integrating it with the existing Military Day. On this day in 1950, during the Korean War, the South Korean army fought back against the North Korean army that had invaded the South,
The day marks the day the 38th parallel was crossed. Every year on this day, South Korea holds a commemorative event. A ceremony was held at a military airport near Seoul. President Yoon gave a speech at the ceremony, and together with the U.S. military
"The North Korean regime must get rid of the delusion that nuclear weapons will protect it," he said, adding, "We must ensure that North Korea does not attempt to use nuclear weapons."
"If the North Korean government decides to withdraw from the Korean peninsula, it will face a decisive and overwhelming response from the South Korean military and the ROK-US alliance. That will be the day that the North Korean regime comes to an end," he warned. President Yoon also warned that he would take measures to respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
He noted that the "Strategic Command" was established in the South Korean military that day, and emphasized that it will be "a core unit that will protect the nation and its people from North Korea's nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction."
At the ceremony, the new ballistic missile "Hyunmoo 5" was unveiled for the first time, and the US military's B1B strategic bomber was seen in the sky.
The Hyunmoo 5 is known as a "monster missile" with a warhead weighing more than eight tons. It has the power to destroy targets deep underground.
The Hyunmoo-5 is said to be capable of ultra-precise and ultra-high-power strikes targeting the entire North Korean region. According to a ruling party member of the National Defense Committee of the South Korean National Assembly, the Hyunmoo-5 is a short-range ballistic missile.
However, if the warhead weight were reduced, it would be able to perform at least as well as an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM, range 3,000-5,500 km).
Based on a missile's standard warhead weight of one ton, the Hyunmoo-5 could have a range of more than 5,000 km."
The South Korean military, which does not have nuclear weapons, has been preparing to destroy the North Korean command in the event of an emergency since immediately after North Korea's fourth nuclear test in 2016.
The Hyunmoo 5 was developed with the assumption that a nuclear test would be conducted in the future. Last year, a test launch was successful. According to the South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo, a military official said, "The Hyunmoo 5 will be used to immediately launch a nuclear attack if North Korea uses nuclear weapons against South Korea.
"We can destroy the Pyongyang command headquarters and other facilities in one fell swoop," he said. Following the ceremony, a military parade was held in downtown Seoul. It was held on a main street facing the central government offices and the US Embassy in Korea, and
Traffic restrictions were also imposed. The parade itself was held for the second time in a row, but this year it was a large-scale event, with 3,000 soldiers and about 80 military equipment units.
" was made a temporary holiday. The last-minute decision to make it a temporary holiday caused some confusion among the public, but Prime Minister Han Deok-soo said last month that "in light of the successive provocations by North Korea and the conflicts in the Middle East,
"The security situation both at home and abroad is severe," he said, adding, "By designating Armed Forces Day as a special holiday, we hope to raise public awareness of the importance of national security and to promote awareness of the role of the Korean military and the dignity of its officers and soldiers."
"I want to use this as an opportunity to reflect on the hardships we have endured," he said. Experts are speculating that North Korea may carry out its seventh nuclear test since September 2017 around the time of the U.S. presidential election in November.
Regarding the South Korean military's aim in unveiling the Hyunmoo 5 for the first time on this year's Armed Forces Day, Yonhap News Agency said, "It was a warning message against North Korea's multiple provocations.
It is believed to be to send a message."