North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Departs for Rare China Trip: Report

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un departed Pyongyang for Beijing on Monday afternoon to attend a military parade marking the end of World War II, according to local media reports, a rare overseas visit that will underscore his ties with both China and Russia.

Kim left on a special train, according to reports by SBS TV and Yonhap News. He will arrive in Beijing on Tuesday, Yonhap said, citing an unnamed source.

The visit marks the North Korean leader's first trip abroad since he traveled to Russia in 2023 for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and his first visit to China since January 2019. In Beijing, Kim is expected to watch the parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin.

Beijing has been North Korea's main backer for years, providing a lifeline that kept its economy afloat as the US and many of its allies maintained sanctions on the reclusive country. Lately, Kim has drawn closer to Russia. US and South Korean officials say Pyongyang has supplied weapons and troops to support Moscow's war against Ukraine.

Kim's appearance alongside Putin and Xi is set to highlight the strengthening ties among the three leaders and signal a shared willingness on their part to coordinate more openly in challenging US-led international norms. For Kim, the trip elevates North Korea's diplomatic standing, putting him next to some of the world's most powerful leaders.

Kim and Xi haven't met in person since June 2019, when the Chinese leader visited Pyongyang and called for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Before that, Kim traveled to Beijing four times in 10 months as he sought China's support in resetting ties with the US and South Korea.

On the day before his departure, Kim inspected a new missile factory, North Korea state media reported Monday, a move that points to the country's advancing weapons capabilities ahead of the trip.

The luxury, bulletproof train Kim rides to China has historically been a favored mode of transportation for North Korea's leaders, including Kim's father and grandfather. It's seen as a relatively safe way to travel in splendor for the rare trips abroad from a country whose flagship airline has been rated as among the worst carriers in the world.

Kim took the train to Russia for his summit with Putin two years ago. Before that, he made a 60-hour journey to Vietnam to meet President Donald Trump during his first term for a summit in Hanoi. Kim boarded a Boeing 747 airplane provided by China when he met Trump for the first time in 2018 in Singapore.

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