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North leader Kim Jong-un enters China by train for Victory Day military parade

Published: 02 Sep. 2025, 08:59

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sept. 1 leaves for China to attend the Victory Day parade set to take place on Sept. 3. [RODONG SINMUN]

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s private train crossed the border into China early Tuesday morning, according to state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun.

The paper reported that Kim departed Pyongyang by special train on Monday “to attend a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War,” at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. He crossed the border early Tuesday, it added.

The paper said that “senior officials of the party and government are accompanying him,” and photographs confirmed the presence of Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and Kim Song-nam, director of the International Department. It remains unknown whether his wife, Ri Sol-ju, or daughter, Ju-ae, are traveling with him.

Just before departure, Workers’ Party secretaries Jo Yong-won and Kim Tok-hun were shown receiving instructions from Kim at Pyongyang Station. It is unclear whether they boarded the train or were merely there to see him off.

It is unusual for North Korean state media to report on an overseas trip by the country’s top leader immediately after departure. When Kim visited Russia in September 2023, state media disclosed the visit two days after his departure.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sept. 1 leaves for China to attend the Victory Day parade set to take place on Sept. 3. [RODONG SINMUN]

Kim’s train is expected to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday, the day before the anniversary event, after crossing the Yalu River bridge that connects Sinuiju and Dandong. The journey from Pyongyang to Beijing typically takes around 20 hours.

Kim is expected to attend China's Victory Day military parade in Beijing on Wednesday alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin. This visit marks Kim’s first trip to China in six years and eight months.

Meanwhile, North Korea also revealed on Monday that Kim had visited "the relevant institute of the General Academy of Chemical Materials under the Missile Administration of the DPRK on September 1 and met experts in the field of the research into the composite carbon fiber material," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

DPRK stands for North Korea's full name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits the institute of the General Academy of Chemical Materials under the Missile Administration on Aug. 31, as revealed by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sept. 1. [KCNA]

"The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un was told about the successes made in the research on the said material," reported KCNA. It said the maximum thrust of the engine was 1,960 kilonewtons. "The engine is to be used in the ICBM Hwasongpho-19 series and the next-generation ICBM Hwasongpho-20."

Kim said he would give "high-class state commendations" to the scientists for "heralding a great change in bolstering up our strategic missile forces."

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]