Kim Jong Un arrives in Beijing for historic Victory Day parade
Kim Jong Un has arrived in Beijing to attend China’s “Victory Day” military parade, marking a rare international appearance for the North Korean leader. He crossed the border on Tuesday aboard his heavily fortified green train, reportedly equipped with French wines, fresh lobster, and around 90 carriages containing conference rooms, audience halls, and bedrooms. The slow-moving journey began in Pyongyang on Monday, and by Tuesday afternoon his train was spotted rolling through Beijing’s suburbs with a North Korean flag on display. His presence at Wednesday’s parade is historic: it is the first time a North Korean leader has attended a Chinese military parade since 1959. Kim will join China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and 26 other heads of state, including leaders from Iran, Cuba, Myanmar, and Indonesia. This marks his first multilateral international meeting, upgrading Pyongyang’s representation from 2015 […]