Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, reportedly departed Pyongyang on the afternoon of September 1 by private train to visit China.
A source familiar with North Korean affairs stated, "Chairman Kim left Pyongyang by train this afternoon and is currently en route." The train carrying Chairman Kim is expected to cross the North Korea-China border on the night of September 1 and arrive in Beijing, China, on September 2.
Chairman Kim Jong Un plans to attend the 80th anniversary Victory Day event in Beijing on September 3, following an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Initially, the general outlook was that Chairman Kim was unlikely to attend the Chinese Victory Day ceremony, as it is an event where several heads of state gather. In fact, this marks the first time in 45 years that a North Korean leader has participated in a multilateral overseas event, since the late President Kim Il Sung attended the funeral of the former President of Yugoslavia in 1980. There were no such precedents during the tenure of the late National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong Il, Chairman Kim's father.
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