South Korean Military Parade Features Bizarre Augmented Reality Footage of Warship Floating Through Streets of Seoul

A South Korean warship swanned down the streets of Seoul during a massive military parade on Tuesday, thanks to augmented reality and an enthusiastic TV station.

Thirty-three minutes into its coverage of the parade, after the display of heavy weaponry was over and the marching bands, honor guards and the flag corps had all passed, the KTV cable news channel added an animation depicting what appeared to be a South Korean navy destroyer plowing down the eight-lane boulevard.

The ship appears to be a Sejong the Great-class guided-missile destroyer, which is about 550 feet long and a displacement of about 8,500 tons.

Amid the rain, the warship kicked up a virtual wake and was unseen by parade-goers on the street. A giant South Korean flag waved from the digital mast.

The virtual display was part of South Korea’s first Armed Forces Day military parade in a decade—a show of force that included more than 4,000 troops, explosive sea drones, lots of armor, and missiles capable of reaching anywhere in North Korea, reports said.

Some 300 U.S. troops also participated in the march. 

The military hardware paraded down streets lined with spectators — despite mist and light drizzle.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was also in attendance, had hard words for North Korea after months of nuclear threats and missile launches. 

"If North Korea uses nuclear weapons, its regime will be brought to an end by an overwhelming response" from South Korea and the U.S., Yoon said earlier Tuesday. 

While military displays are commonplace in North Korea, the south hadn’t marched troops on the streets since 2013.

Yoon promised "a strong military that instills fear in the enemy." 

"Based on battle-ready combat capabilities and a solid readiness posture, our military will immediately retaliate against any North Korean provocation," he said.

The South Korean display follows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s recent visit to Russia, where he is believed to have made a deal to trade some of Pyongyang’s vast stores of artillery ammunition for Moscow’s high-tech weaponry.