Afraid to fly? Kim Jong-un arrives in Beijing by armored train
Photo: Kim Jong-un arrives in Beijing on an armored train (Getty Images)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will arrive in China’s capital for a military parade on a special armored train. This specialized mode of transport has been used by North Korean leaders for decades, The Guardian reports.
According to the media outlet, the bulletproof armored train is described as a moving “fortress.” It travels at only 60 km/h, making the journey from Pyongyang to Beijing take about 20 hours.
The armored train has separate sections for Kim Jong-un, his entourage, security personnel, as well as a space for discussing the agenda before meetings, experts say.
Kim does not share the fear of flying that forced his father, Kim Jong-il, to travel long distances exclusively by rail.
Previously, Kim Jong-un flew to the 2018 summit in Singapore with Donald Trump and to a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping that same year in the Chinese city of Dalian. However, the train still appears to be the North Korean leader’s preferred mode of transportation.
Kim Jong-un is one of 26 world leaders joining Chinese leader Xi Jinping to watch the large-scale military parade in Beijing.
Parade in Beijing
On September 3, Beijing will host the Victory Day military parade at Tiananmen Square. It will last about 70 minutes under the leadership of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The event will be the second such since 2015, commemorating the official surrender of Japanese forces in 1945.
The events, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, will be one of the key occasions in President Xi Jinping’s political calendar. He will remain at the center of activities in the square, showcasing China’s strength.
The parade will take place immediately after the summit in Tianjin, where Xi Jinping will meet with Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other leaders.
