Video: North Korea holds massive parade for its 65th birthday North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un watched as soldiers marched and bands played in the main square of Pyongyang this morning as the country celebrated Sept 9, 1948 - the founding day of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The anniversary comes amidst ongoing talks between North and South Korea following the North's third nuclear test in February. Subsequent UN sanctions against Pyongyang and annual US-South Korean military drills prompted weeks of threats from the North and a fierce South Korean response that has only recently eased. The United States sees China, in particular, as the key to getting North Korea to change. Although Beijing has become more critical of Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions, it remains reluctant to abandon its troublesome ally. Washington and Seoul also remember that Pyongyang is pressing ahead with its nuclear and missile programmes, even as it steps up diplomacy.