AKIPRESS.COM - North Korea is set to hold its 70th anniversary military parade, a day ahead of the Winter Olympics in South Korea, BBC reported.

The annual parade, marking the founding of its army, is usually held in April but was moved to 8 February this year.

Ahead of the parade, Korean Central Television is showing video archive of previous leaders, the local landscape and propaganda films.

It is not clear what time the parade will begin.

North Korea had earlier dismissed criticism of its plans to hold the parade a day before the Olympics, saying no-one had the right to take issue.

"It is a custom and very basic common sense that any country in the world takes the founding of its military very seriously and celebrates it with extravagant events," said the ruling Workers' Party newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun.

The US has said it would rather the parade not take place as the focus should be on the Games.

On Thursday, North Korea said it has no intention of meeting US officials during the Games, according to the North's official KCNA news agency.