North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un, who is traveling to China to attend the 80th anniversary Victory Day military parade, is expected to arrive in Beijing on the afternoon of September 2.
North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un visited the Chemical Materials General Research Institute under the Missile General Bureau on the 1st and received a report on the production of high-output solid engines using carbon fiber composite materials and the results of ground ejection tests. He also discussed the establishment of a foundation for mass production, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 2nd. 2025.9.2 Yonhap News Agency
On this day, the Korean Central News Agency reported that Chairman Kim departed for Beijing, China the previous day aboard his private train. The report also stated that key officials, including Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, accompanied him. This news was featured on the front page of Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper read by North Korean citizens. The Rodong Sinmun added that Kim's private train crossed the border in the early hours of the day. Kim's private train, known as the "Taeyang-ho," reportedly travels at about 50 kilometers per hour. Based on precedent, the train journey to Beijing is expected to take an entire day, so his arrival is anticipated in the afternoon.
This marks Kim's first visit to China in six years and eight months since January 2019. Unlike his previous four visits, which were for bilateral talks, this is his first time participating in an unprecedented multilateral event, leading to unusual scenes such as the disclosure of his itinerary and a farewell ceremony. One particularly noteworthy point is whether his daughter Ju-ae is accompanying him. So far, in the photos and reports released by North Korean media, neither his wife Ri Sol Ju, his daughter Ju-ae, nor his sister Kim Yo Jong have been seen. Yang Moo Jin, honorary professor at the University of North Korean Studies, commented, "If Ri Sol Ju, Kim Ju-ae, and other members of the royal family are not accompanying him, it suggests this is not a state visit but attendance at the Victory Day parade, and as this is Chairman Kim's debut on the multilateral stage, the focus is intended to be on him." However, there remains the possibility that Ri Sol Ju or Ju-ae could make a surprise appearance at the parade on the 3rd. If this happens, it would serve as a symbolic moment, effectively making the fourth-generation succession and the heir official on the international stage.
According to the Chinese government, at the parade on the 3rd, President Xi Jinping will be flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chairman Kim. Following bilateral summits between North Korea and China, and North Korea and Russia, there is also the possibility of the first-ever trilateral summit among North Korea, China, and Russia. An official from the Ministry of Unification stated, "It is currently difficult to predict whether the leaders will hold separate bilateral talks after arriving in Beijing and participate in the event tomorrow."
Meanwhile, the Korea-China Friendship Association reported that just before his departure for China, Kim Jong Un visited a research institute related to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Notably, for the first time, it was revealed that North Korea is developing the next-generation "Hwasong-20" following the "Hwasong-19," currently known as the country's largest ICBM. This move is seen as an attempt to showcase weapons capable of striking the U.S. mainland and assert North Korea's status as a "nuclear-armed state" ahead of Kim's debut on the multilateral stage. Hong Min, senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, explained, "This visit was planned to demonstrate North Korea's status as a nuclear-armed state and a mid-level nuclear power, standing shoulder to shoulder with China and Russia at the Victory Day event." He added, "It also signals North Korea's intention to continue mass production of tactical nuclear missiles and further upgrade and expand its ICBM capabilities after the 9th Party Congress."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
