The North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is on his way to China aboard one of his heavily armored trains in Fortstijl, Staatsmedia reported Monday.
The 41-year-old dictator is expected to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday to attend a military parade with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kim’s visit marks his first trip to Beijing since 2019 and comes as a Pyongyang tries to strengthen ties with both China and Russia.
The event commemorates the 80th anniversary of the surrender of Japan in World War II, and emphasizes Beijing’s efforts to present military power and to deepen alliances in a time of increased global tensions.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Beijing to view a military parade (Photo of Golden Dome: Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
According to the Chinese news agency Yonhap NewsKim’s train, dubbed taeyangho, which means “moving fort”, will ensure that the dictator is fully protected during transport.
The North Korean train is bulletproof and travels at a low speed of approximately 60 kilometers per hour.
The trip to Beijing is expected to take approximately 20 hours to cover the 1,300 kilometers route, delayed by the heavy armor of the train in North Korea.
Yonhap also reported that the train usually carries between 10 and 15 carriages, some exclusively reserved for Kim, such as a private bedroom.
Other carriages house guards and medical staff, according to the Associated Press.
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Kim Jong Un controls one of his military style trains while leaving the Vostochny сosmodrome after a meeting with Russian President Putin in Russia in 2023 (Reuters)
The armored train can also have conference rooms, public rooms and bedrooms.
On Monday, Kim Chon-il, director of the press and information department of the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed the departure of the leader on a private train.
“Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, left here for Beijing by his private train on Sept. 1 to participate in celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, “Korean Central News Agency Reported, CITing the Ministry Official.
Kim is accompanied by senior party and government officials, including Foreign Minister Choe Son-Hui, added KCNA.
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The leader of Noord -Korea, Kim Jong Un, gets out of a train while he arrives at the train station of Dong Dang, Vietnam, on the border with China in 2019 (Reuters)
The military parade in Beijing will see thousands of troops march through Tiananmen square in a 70-minute display with the latest weapons from China.
Shortly after the controversial journey of South Korean President Lee Jaung, the visit to the United States and Donald Trump met last month, where he emphasized trilateral cooperation to combat the advancing nuclear and rocket programs of North Korea.
Traveling by armored train to controversial events is a family tradition for the prevailing dynasty of North Korea.
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Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, also trusted on train journeys, reportedly because of a fear of flying.
Kim has continued practice, also during his last trip to Beijing in 2019 and two meetings with Putin since the Russia invasion in Ukraine.
