Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un left Pyongyang by train on Monday afternoon, en route to Beijing, where he is expected to attend a military parade and make his first appearance on a multilateral diplomatic stage, a source told Yonhap News Agency.
If confirmed, this would mark the first time Kim has joined such an event since taking power in late 2011. His grandfather and North Korea’s founding leader, Kim Il-sung, last attended a Beijing military parade in 1959.
Kim’s participation in Wednesday’s parade could pave the way for an unprecedented three-way meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Leaders from 26 countries are scheduled to attend the event at Tiananmen Square, which will showcase China’s newest weaponry and mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, commemorated as victory over Japan.
The train journey is expected to take 20 to 24 hours, with Kim likely to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday afternoon. He is expected to stay at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, where he lodged during three of his four previous visits to China.
Ahead of his departure, North Korean state media reported that Kim inspected a newly completed missile production line at a major munitions factory on Sunday, underscoring his regime’s military priorities.
At the Beijing parade, Kim will reportedly be seated to Xi’s left, while Putin will sit to Xi’s right, according to a Kremlin official cited in Russian media. The possibility of a trilateral summit among the three leaders has also been raised, which would mark their first joint meeting since the Cold War era.