As nations across the globe fired off rockets to celebrate the ushering in of a new year, North Korea went one step further to display not only a bombastic firework display but also macabre ice sculptures of deadly weapons.
The ice sculptures depict the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) which was completed in 2017 by the rogue state in a series of controversial and dangerous missile tests.
In one ghastly image, children pose for a photo in front of an ice sculpture depicting an ICBM self-propelled launcher with the North Korean flag waving behind it.
Another image shows children and adults smiling in front of ICBMs while some take photographs on their phones.
And another photo shows a group of men in front of an ICBM with lighting at the bottom to simulate a launch.
The sculptures were part of the New Year celebrations at the Pyongyang Ice Sculpture Festival on Kim Il Sung Square.
Pyongyang is the capital of North Korea but it is also a place where the elite lives in relative luxury, compared to the rest of the country.
Despite this, the photographs of the men show sunken cheeks and prominent cheekbones – a sign of malnourishment.
North Korean men are on average between 1.2 – 3.1 inches shorter than their Southern neighbours due to food shortages.
When on tourist trips, foreigners are given a guided tours of Pyongyang to show its alleged prosperity.
But outside the capital, most of the population live in undeveloped conditions in which only three per cent of the country’s roads are paved, compared to 92 per cent in South Korea.
The hermit kingdom is also subject to punitive sanctions from the United Nations to limit its access to vital resources in an attempt to bring them to the negotiating table.
There is even speculation North Korea is involved in such illegal activities as drug dealing and hacking bitcoin to fund itself.
Yet despite its dire-straits, North Korea put on an ostentatious firework display for the nation’s elite which seemingly tried to compete with the likes of Hong Kong and Sydney.
It is not known how much North Korea spent on fireworks, but huge displays, as seen in London and other capitals, cost thousands of pounds – which North Korea can ill-afford.
Last New Year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced his country’s preparations to launch an intercontinental missile had “reached the final stage”.
This was preceded by a series of missile and nuclear tests which has culminated in what some experts believe a nuclear missile capable of reaching the continental US.
This sparked a war of words with US President Donald Trump with each leader threatening to annihilate the other.
Tensions continue to run high and have led to both sides increasing military activity on the Korean peninsula.
Many fear it could escalate into full-fledged war.
This year’s address, Kim Jong-un called for the mass-production of nukes, missiles and putting them into service.