Red flags fluttered across the capital yesterday as North Korea prepared for its biggest parade ever, an event expected to serve as the public debut of future leader Kim Jong Un and for the world as a rare glimpse inside one of its most insular nations.

Officially, Sunday's parade marks the 65th anniversary of the communist nation's ruling Workers' Party. However, this year's celebration comes less than two weeks after Kim Jong Il's re-election to the party's top post and the news that his 20-something son would succeed his father and grandfather as leader.

Even in a country known for its elaborately staged displays of military might, the scale and pomp of the festivities suggest something special.

"This is a very important event because it's being held after Kim Jong Un's debut as heir-apparent," said Yoo Ho-yeol, a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University in Seoul.

The weekend of festivities began Friday night with fireworks that lit up the sky over central Pyongyang, footage from TV news agency APTN showed. Students danced across the city's plazas and brass bands played "Please Receive the Best Wishes of the People," the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.