North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has departed from Pyongyang for Russia by “special train,” reports South Korean news agency Yonhap, citing the South Korean authorities.
“The intelligence authorities believe the train presumed to be carrying Kim Jong-un is moving toward Vladivostok,” reported a South Korean government official.
The Kremlin’s press service confirmed that the North Korean leader would make an official visit to Russia “in the coming days” upon invitation from Russian president Vladimir Putin, writes Interfax.
Kim Jong-un is expected to arrive in Russia on September 12, as the train ride between Pyongyang and Vladivostok takes approximately 20 hours.
Earlier, media reported that Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin would meet on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, taking place in Vladivostok on September 10-13. Western analysts suggest that the two will discuss North Korean weapons shipments to Russia.
This will mark Kim Jong-un’s first visit to Russia in approximately four and a half years and his first trip abroad since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time the North Korean leader travelled to Russia was in April 2019.
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