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2w ago

Kim Jong-un Departs by Armored Train for Beijing Parade With Xi and Putin

The trip signals a visible consolidation of Pyongyang’s ties with China and Russia.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a missile production line in an undisclosed location on August 31, 2025.
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People ride past a portrait of the late communist leader Mao Zedong on Tiananmen Square, where the next military parade will take place on September 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II

Overview

  • North Korean state media confirmed Kim left Pyongyang on Sept. 1 by private armored train for Beijing to attend China’s Sept. 3 Victory Day military parade.
  • The appearance will be Kim’s first time on a multilateral diplomatic stage since he took power in 2011.
  • A day before departure, Kim inspected a newly completed missile production line, with KCNA saying various missiles are now in serial production and that he approved new long-term capacity plans.
  • Russian outlets, citing a Kremlin official, reported Kim will stand to Xi Jinping’s left and Vladimir Putin to Xi’s right during the parade, with a possible trilateral meeting still unconfirmed.
  • Kim’s journey is expected to take 20–24 hours via the Sinuiju–Dandong crossing, he is one of 26 foreign leaders invited as Western leaders stay away, and his entourage includes Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui.