North Korea has criticized South Korea’s display of its newest weaponry during an Armed Forces Day event yesterday, calling it “a confrontational farce aimed at ratcheting up tensions.”

Rodong Sinmun deemed the showcasing of 11,000 troops, 190 military airplanes and 120 fighter jets as “unprecedented and aggressive lunacy.” Pointing to the claim that the event was just a commemoration, the piece stated that “the puppets put up this garish sign to conceal the provocative character of their show of force.”

The piece continued in a similar vein; “No matter how the puppets say they wish to 'enhance the alliance,' the fact can never be concealed that they utterly betrayed the nation to foreign powers, sold the country like lackeys with the intention of harming our homogeneous race, and maintain an aggressive system. At this so-called ‘event,' collusion between the military and the American masters is increasingly intensifying. It is yet another confrontational farce aimed at stirring up antagonism between members of the same race, and to open up an invasion of the North.”

Special mention was made of the newly-displayed weaponry; most notably, the Hyunmoo 2 and Hyunmoo 3: “This kind of senseless, rash behavior raises tensions on the Chosun peninsula, and whoever views it can plainly see the warmongering.’”

Criticizing the North Korean response, one former member of the North Korean military who now resides in the South told Daily NK, “North Korea criticizes the first display of weaponry on an Armed Forces Day in the South for ten years, but they hold a military parade every year. I’m curious to know how they’d explain that. If North Korea does it, it’s military power for self-defense. If the South does it, they forcefully hammer home the point that the South must be preparing for war.”