South Korea stages first military parade in decade amid growing threats from North

South Korea on Tuesday staged its first military parade in a decade, showcasing its advanced arsenal in the face of plummeting ties with nuclear-armed North Korea, Report informs via France 24.

Pyongyang regularly puts on huge military parades but such events in Seoul are traditionally arranged every five years to mark South Korea's Armed Forces Day.

The last parade was in 2013. Five years later, then-president Moon Jae-in chose to hold a celebratory ceremony instead of a military event, in line with his conciliatory approach to North Korea.

On a rain-soaked afternoon, around 6,700 troops marched through central Seoul, cheered by umbrella-bearing crowds who waved South Korean flags.

They were accompanied by 340 pieces of military equipment, including air and sea drones, tanks and missiles.

A flight display by South Korean warplanes, including US-made F-35 stealth fighters, was canceled because of poor weather conditions.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol watched the parade from a platform, applauding troops as they marched past.

"To demonstrate the strong foundation" of Seoul's alliance with Washington, around 300 US military personnel also participated in the parade.