South Korea and the United States are closely monitoring North Korea's preparations for a military parade expected to be held in time for a rare ruling Workers' Party congress next month.

This was confirmed by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) spokesperson Col. Kim Jun-rak on Monday.

According to recent satellite imagery revealed by U.S. website 38 North, thousands of North Koreans were mobilized at Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square for parade preparations.

The North showcased a new intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM) and other strategic weapons at a parade last October celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party.

The JCS, meanwhile, assessed that the North Korean military began its annual winter training this month, as it has done in previous years.

The exercise, however, is believed to have been downsized due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.