SEOUL—North Korea held its first military parade since President Biden took office, though the event didn’t feature major military hardware or a speech from leader Kim Jong Un.

The parade, held in central Pyongyang, celebrated the 73rd anniversary of North Korea’s founding and occurred in the middle of the night, according to a state media report published Thursday. Mr. Kim, wearing a gray suit, watched the festivities at Kim Il Sung Square through binoculars. Thousands of unmasked spectators lined the streets.

North Korea last held a military parade days before Mr. Biden’s inauguration in January, when the Kim regime displayed a submarine-launched ballistic missile that state media called the world’s most powerful weapon.

Kim Jong Un attended the parade but didn’t give a speech.

Photo: kcna/Reuters

Months earlier, in October 2020, North Korea unveiled an intercontinental ballistic missile that weapons experts believe is the largest ever of its kind.

For the Thursday parade, state media made no mention of showcasing new weaponry. The event seemed targeted toward rallying a domestic audience rather than designed to send a pointed message to the U.S. or South Korea.

Firetrucks rumbled by. A column of marchers wearing orange hazmat suits and gas masks represented protection of the country and people from the pandemic, state media said. Tractors hauling artillery were described as “annihilating firepower in case of emergency.” Military dogs and horses walked among the soldiers.

People wearing hazmat suits and gas masks represented protection of the country and people from the pandemic, state media said.

Photo: kcna/Reuters

North Korea’s current difficulties would be resolved through self-reliance and single-minded unity, said Ri Il Hwan, secretary of the central committee of the ruling Workers’ Party, in remarks quoted by state media.

“Neither challenge nor difficulties can ever stop the heroic advance of our state and our people,” Mr. Ri said.

The Kim regime has been dealing with home-front challenges. Its economy has suffered, as North Korea sealed off its borders to contend with Covid-19, and Mr. Kim has acknowledged food shortages. The country’s rubber-stamp parliament is set to meet this month to discuss economic issues.

South Korea’s military said it had detected signs of the military parade and was analyzing the situation with the U.S.

The Kim regime’s third military parade in under a year marked an unusually high tempo for such events in North Korea, though given the country’s internal struggles, the demonstrations show that national power and unity endure, said Ankit Panda, a senior fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

“A theme in the recent parades has been staying the course,” Mr. Panda said.

—Dasl Yoon contributed to this article.

Write to Timothy W. Martin at timothy.martin@wsj.com