Thai PBS Verify found the news in question on: X
Thai PBS Verify identified a post by X user ‘Parody Jeff,’ claiming North Korea threatened Israel with nuclear weapons. It was accompanied by footage of a Hwasong-20 missile parade.
A post alleging that North Korea issued nuclear threats against Israel features footage of a Hwasong-20 missile parade.
The caption reads:
“𝗡𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗞𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗔 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗡𝗨𝗞𝗘 𝗜𝗦𝗥𝗔𝗘𝗟
The Zionist entity will be erased when the time comes”
Rolled out three nuclear Hwasong-20 ICBMs in the pouring rain.
Im starting to like North Korea”
Published on April 5, 2026, the post has so far accumulated 752,132 views and more than 2,000 reposts.
North Korea did not hold a military parade to threaten Israel
Thai PBS Verify performed a reverse image search via Google Lens on frames from the video—which was falsely claimed to show a North Korean military convoy preparing a nuclear strike against Israel. Later, the team found that the footage actually matches a report by the Japanese broadcaster NHK. According to NHK, the visuals are from a military parade held in central Pyongyang on October 11, 2025, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), and were subsequently broadcasted by North Korean state media the following day, October 12, 2025.
A screenshot of the Google Lens search results shows a report from NHK. It states that on October 12, 2025, North Korean state media broadcasted footage of a military parade held in central Pyongyang on October 11, 2025.
Furthermore, the team searched the video on YouTube with a Korean keyword ‘화성-20’ (Hwasong-20). It revealed live broadcasts from several South Korean media outlets covering North Korea’s WPK anniversary. Multiple clips identify the weapon as North Korea’s latest Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-20.
A live broadcast by MBC on October 11, 2025, featured the unveiling of North Korea’s latest ICBM, the Hwasong-20. The event was part of a parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
The report was broadcast live by MBC on October 11, 2025. It covered the unveiling of North Korea’s new Hwasong-20 ICBM. The event was part of a military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
What was the 2025 WPK anniversary parade about?
Thanks to Google Translate, the team further translated messages and captions accompanied with the video:
신형 ICBM 화성-20형 공개 북한 당 창건 80주년 열병식 – [끝까지LIVE] MBC 중계방송 2025년 10월 11일
“The debut of North Korea’s new Hwasong-20 ICBM during the military parade commemorating the WPK’s 80th anniversary; live broadcast by MBC on October 11, 2025.”
“북한이 노동당 창건 80주년 기념 열병식에서 신형 대륙간탄도미사일(ICBM) ‘화성-20형’을 공개했습니다.
11일 조선중앙통신은 북한이 전날 밤 김일성광장에서 대규모 병력과 장비를 동원해 노동당 창건 80주년 기념 열병식 행사를 개최했다고 보도했습니다.
통신은 “조선민주주의인민공화국의 최강의 핵전략무기체계인 대륙간탄도미사일 ‘화성포－20’형 종대가 주로를 메우며 광장에 들어서자 관중들이 터치는 열광의 환호는 고조를 이루었다”고 밝혔습니다.
“On October 11, 2025, North Korea debuted the ‘Hwasong-20,’ its latest ICBM, at a parade marking the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
“The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that North Korea held a large-scale military parade the previous night to celebrate the WPK’s 80th anniversary, mobilizing a significant number of troops and military equipment at the Kim Il Sung Square.
“The news agency stated: ‘As the convoy of the “Hwasongpho-20” intercontinental ballistic missiles—the DPRK’s most powerful strategic nuclear weapon system—filled the main route into the square, the crowd’s ecstatic cheers erupted in a resounding roar.”
A comparison between the MBC broadcast and the original post—which claimed North Korea was threatening Israel—reveals that the footage is from the same event. This indicates that the post contains misleading information.
The clip in question is merely footage from a military parade celebrating the WPK’s 80th anniversary and has no connection to any current international conflicts.
A comparison shows that the top image, from the MBC broadcast, identifies the event as a military parade celebrating the WPK’s 80th anniversary. The bottom image, from the video claiming a North Korean threat against Israel, matches the top one, confirming they are of the same event.
A match is found between the real footage (top) and the video in question (below).
Furthermore, MBC stated that the live broadcast signal was sourced from KCTV (Korean Central Television), North Korea’s state-run broadcaster.
How does North Korea actually respond to the U.S.-Iranian-Israeli conflict?
Reuters reported that after the clashes involving Israel, the U.S., and Iran on February 28, 2026, North Korea’s official news agency issued a report the following day, March 1. Principally, the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs characterized Israel’s attacks and U.S. military operations against Iran as ‘illegal aggression’ and a violation of Iranian national sovereignty.
Below is the timeline of the Middle East conflict and North Korea’s reactions:
- February 28, 2026 – Israeli and U.S. airstrikes against Iran triggered significant tensions across the Middle East.
- March 1, 2026 – Urban warfare erupts alongside a maritime shipping crisis in the Middle East. According to Reuters, North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement through state media condemning the Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran as ‘illegal aggression’ and a violation of another nation’s sovereignty.
- March 5, 2026 – Reuters reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a 5,000-ton naval destroyer and supervised missile tests. He announced plans to modernize the fleet to enhance maritime strike capabilities, citing provocations from the United States and its allies.
- March 10, 2026 – According to Al Jazeera, North Korea’s KCNA reported that Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Kim Jong Un, condemned the joint military drills between South Korea and the U.S. as actions that destabilize East Asia. This statement came as the two nations began their annual 10-day joint exercise on the Korean Peninsula. “The muscle-flexing of the hostile forces near the areas of our state’s sovereignty and security may cause unimaginably terrible consequences,” said Kim Yo Yong.
What is the truth?
The viral video claiming the North Korean deployment of the Hwasong-20 missiles to threaten Israel is out of context. In reality, the footage is from a military parade held in Pyongyang on October 11, 2025, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
The missile model was merely unveiled during the parade and has no direct connection to the conflict in the Middle East.
