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Kim's Show Of Strength 'Like Nothing I've Seen'

Today was the reason we had been invited into North Korea. The 70th anniversary of The Workers' Party and a massive military parade in central Pyongyang.

Before being allowed into the Kim Il-sung Square to watch it, we had to go through two intensive security checks.

Our government guides told us we could only bring our passport with us. We had to leave our wallets and mobile phones behind.

We argued, successfully, to take pens, notepads. Everything, apart from essential camera equipment, wasn't permitted.

We had to wear blue armbands at all times with "Press" written on them in Korean.

Inside the square the media was divided into two sections. We were only metres from the parade ground.

There were no allocated positions - it was first come, first served.

But once we'd secured our spot we were told not to move from there and on no account touch the microphones blaring out nationalistic music and commentary.

Our guides were especially nervous today. "Everything must be perfect," we were told. "Please film beautiful things," I was asked.

When Kim Jong Un walked on to a balcony overlooking the square, the crowd rose as one, applauding manically. Our guides joined in.

The event was choreographed to perfection. I spotted only one mistake, when a parade of flag bearers clashed with a camera on a crane. Other than that, flawless.

We think there must have been close to a million people on the parade. Military and civilian. It was, in the strictest sense of the word, awesome.

Like nothing I have seen before.

:: Alistair Bunkall is reporting under the supervision of the North Korean government.