Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, has arrived in Russia ahead of a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, in which both leaders could agree on a potential weaponry trade for Moscow’s conflict in Ukraine.
According to South Korean media, Kim spent 20 hours traveling 1,180 kilometers (733 miles) on the slow-moving green-and-yellow train.
The train’s heavily armored protection causes it to rattle at roughly 50km/h (31mph), which is substantially slower than most modern trains.
Kim boarded his personal train on Sunday afternoon, according to North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), accompanied by unspecified representatives of the country’s ruling party, administration, and military.
The South Korean military claimed in a briefing that the train crossed into Russia earlier today, without explaining on how the military received the information.
According to Russia’s TASS news agency, Kim and Putin will meet in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok, where Putin arrived on Monday to attend an international summit that continues through Wednesday.
Mr. Putin met Mr. Kim for the first time in 2019, in a city about 425 miles (680 kilometers) north of Pyongyang.
According to Russian news outlets, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the two leaders would meet after the Vladivostok meeting, but did not indicate when or where.
Kim Jong Un is on his first international trip since the Covid-19 outbreak, which saw North Korea tighten border controls for more than three years.
Kim’s team is anticipated to include his foreign minister, Choe Sun Hui, as well as his top two military officials, Marshals Ri Pyong Chol and Pak Jong Chon of the Korean People’s Army.
Pak Thae Song, chairman of North Korea’s space science and technology council, and Navy Admiral Kim Myong Sik are among those involved in North Korean efforts to acquire spy satellites and nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarines.
According to South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which examined the North Korean images, Kim Jong Un is also bringing Jo Chun Ryong, a ruling party official in charge of munitions programs who accompanied the leader on recent excursions to factories making artillery shells and missiles.