North Korea's Kim heads to China on his special armored train: Report

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Monday departed Pyongyang on his special armored train to attend a military parade in China, marking his debut on the multilateral diplomatic stage, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

The train is expected to make stops at Shenyang, Shanhaiguan, Tangshan, and Tianjin before reaching Beijing. The journey from Pyongyang to Beijing spans about 1,300 kilometers (nearly 807 miles).

Kim's train is anticipated to cross the North Korea-China border during the night, with an expected arrival in Beijing the following day. The trip from Pyongyang to Beijing by train usually takes between 20 and 24 hours.

Kim, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, will be among state leaders from 26 foreign nations attending the military parade in Beijing on Wednesday. The event will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, which China marks as its victory over Japan.

This will be Kim's first participation in a multilateral diplomatic event since taking power in late 2011. His grandfather, Kim Il-sung, the founding leader of North Korea, attended a military parade in Beijing in 1959.