North Korean leader Kim Jong Un boarded a special train to attend the 80th anniversary celebration of China’s victory. Unlike previous occasions, there was no large-scale farewell ceremony, creating a relatively subdued and restrained atmosphere that attracted attention.
On Tuesday, the Workers’ Party of Korea’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported that Kim departed from Pyongyang on his private train the previous day and crossed the border early that morning.
Notably, the send-off for Kim’s visit to China was comparatively low-key. In the past, when Kim traveled abroad, numerous party and government officials, along with citizens, would gather at the train station or airport. However, this report did not mention any farewell ceremony.
Published photographs in the newspaper captured Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and International Department Chief Kim Song-nam accompanying Kim on the train. Before departure, only Party Secretaries Jo Yong-won and Kim Tok-hun were seen, apparently receiving instructions from Kim at the station, with no other officials visible. The newspaper briefly mentioned that key party and government officials were accompanying Kim on his visit to China.
This scene stands in sharp contrast to Kim’s departure to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok on September 12, 2023. At that time, the newspaper reported that numerous leaders from party, government, and military institutions, including Kim Tok-hun, greeted Kim at the train station. Kim even waved to the crowd while holding the national flag and flowers.
Similarly, when Kim left for Beijing on January 7, 2019, to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korean media showed officials lined up to bid farewell to Kim and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, and captured moments of the couple inspecting the honor guard just before departure.
Experts suggest that the limited publicity for this China trip might be due to Kim’s apprehension over his first multilateral diplomatic engagement and the pressure to secure various economic outcomes with China.
Currently, as North Korea pursues a strategy of relying on China for economic support and Russia for security, it faces the challenge of revitalizing economic cooperation with China beyond the political goal of strengthening anti-U.S. alliances during this visit. With significant internal events approaching, such as the 80th anniversary of the party’s founding on October 10 and the 9th party congress, North Korea urgently needs tangible economic achievements.
Yang Moo-jin, professor emeritus at the University of North Korean Studies, noted that while Kim previously held grand farewell ceremonies to showcase his status as an honored state guest, this time he emphasized the visit’s practical purpose.
Regarding the serious expressions on Kim’s face as he spoke with Jo and Kim Tok-hun just before the train’s departure, Yang remarked that the pressure of entering this first multilateral diplomatic stage is evident. He added that if they accompanied him, it is likely that Kim Tok-hun was tasked with managing North Korea–China economic cooperation, while Jo would handle internal communications on related matters.
A South Korean Unification Ministry official stated that North Korean reports did not mention any farewell ceremony. Given that this is Kim’s first participation in multilateral diplomacy, they will continue to monitor whether an official farewell ceremony takes place.
Meanwhile, some speculate that a farewell ceremony might have occurred but was not widely reported.
