Smiling Kim Jong Un watches on as troops pummel each other with bricks and axes at military showcase

A smiling Kim Jong Un watched on as North Korean special forces troops put on an extreme display of strength at a military showcase. Footage shared by state-run Korean Central Television on Sunday (29 March) shows soldiers breaking bricks with their heads, performing somersaults, and being hit in the stomach with spades and axes. The channel said that the parade “fully displayed their crack-shot marksmanship and military technical and physical ability in a competitive way”. Kim, watching on from behind a large wooden desk, beamed at the performance. The visit follows his pledge to boost military capabilities and continue nuclear development under a new five-year plan.