South Korea parades troops and powerful weapons in its biggest Armed Forces Day ceremony in years

: South Korea holds largest Armed Forces Day ceremony in 10 years, President Yoon vows to build stronger military to thwart North Korea provocations. US, China, Japan leaders agree to hold trilateral summit in South Korea at earliest convenient time. Yoon's moves to strengthen military alliance with US, boost Seoul-Tokyo security cooperation worry China, but Yoon says won't marginalise any nation.

South Korea paraded thousands of troops and an array of weapons capable of striking North Korea through its capital as part of its biggest Armed Forces Day ceremony in 10 years on September 26, as its president vowed to build a stronger military to thwart any provocation by the North.

Concerns are growing that North Korea is seeking Russian help in expanding its nuclear arsenal in return for supplying Moscow with conventional arms exhausted by its war with Ukraine.

“After looking at your imposing march today, I believe our people would trust you and have faith in our national security,” President Yoon Suk Yeol told cheering soldiers at the end of the ceremony in a central Seoul plaza. “I'll always support you together with our people.” Earlier, South Korea rolled tanks, artillery systems, drones and powerful ballistic missiles capable of hitting all of North Korea through the streets of Seoul, amid steady autumn rains.

About 4,000 South Korean troops carrying rifles or flags followed them, accompanied by about 300 US soldiers, in the first such military parade since 2013.

As the soldiers and their weapons went past, Yoon waved, clapped and flashed a thumbs-up.

Since taking office last year, he has been pushing hard to beef up South Korea's defense capability while expanding military drills with the United States in response to North Korea's advancing nuclear arsenal.

But a complication in Seoul and Washington's efforts to curb the North's nuclear ambitions is the latest North Korean push to deepen military cooperation with Russia. Earlier this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un travelled to Russia's far eastern region to meet with President Vladimir Putin and visit key military sites.