North Korean leader Kim Jong Un departed from Pyongyang on Monday afternoon, traveling by a special train to Beijing to attend a major military parade, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. The event in the Chinese capital is set to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Japan's surrender at the end of World War II.
Citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter, Yonhap reported the specific details of the leader's departure.
"The North Korean leader left Pyongyang in the afternoon on a special train," the source was quoted as saying.
The use of a heavily armored, private train is a hallmark of North Korean leaders' travel, a tradition favored by both his father, Kim Jong Il, and his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, for high-security trips to neighboring China and Russia.
The visit marks a significant diplomatic event, highlighting the historically close, though sometimes complex, relationship between North Korea and its most crucial ally, China. Kim Jong Un's attendance at the parade would be a strong public display of solidarity with Beijing.
The military parade in Beijing is a landmark event intended to commemorate what China officially calls the "70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War." The attendance of foreign leaders is being closely watched globally, and the presence of the North Korean leader would be particularly notable.
Official state media in both North Korea and China have not yet confirmed the trip, which is standard procedure for high-level North Korean travel. Announcements are typically made only after the leader has safely arrived or the visit has concluded
