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How North Korea celebrated its 70th birthday

I just want a small celebration - don't go to any trouble.

Kim Jong-un clearly never expressed this sentiment in advance of North Korea's celebrations of its 70th anniversary.

He didn't exactly order birthday cake, either.

Instead, tens of thousands of soldiers marched in an incredible parade in Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang on Saturday, alongside armoured tanks and various ballistics equipment, to commemorate 70 years of the country's ruling party.

In addition, a portrait of the late leader Kim Jong-il featured in the parade, which saw soldiers march past Kim Jong-un in salute. Kim's family have controlled the country for three generations.

(Picture: AP)

The only foreign well wishers were dignitaries from China. Chinese official Liu Yunshan stood next to Kim, opposite senior North Korean officials, as the parade marched by.

The dear leader didn't waste words on birthday sentiments or nostalgia. Instead he told the square in a speech:

The party's revolutionary armament means we are ready to fight any kind of war waged by the US imperialists.

A few days ago satellite images showed tents, 700 trucks and 200 armoured vehicles in a training camp in Pyongyang in the buildup to the celebrations, which are set to continue over the next few days.

(Picture: ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images)

Happy birthday, mate. We hope you have a blast.

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