North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Beijing on Tuesday (September 2) aboard a green mysterious special train to attend the CCP military parade on September 3. His daughter, Kim Ju Ae, was spotted accompanying him on the visit to China, once again sparking speculation about the successor. The slow-moving but specially designed train that Kim Jong Un relies on for his travels has also attracted attention.
According to reports from the South Korean news agency Yonhap, the South Korean National Intelligence Service stated on Tuesday that Kim Ju Ae, the daughter of Kim Jong Un, was among the entourage during his visit to China. The National Intelligence Service is closely monitoring Kim Ju Ae’s activities.
It is believed that this trip to China is the first time Kim Jong Un has brought his daughter on an international visit.
Photographs released by the North Korean state media, Korean Central News Agency, showed Kim Jong Un arriving in Beijing with his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, standing behind him and in front of the Foreign Minister Ri Son Gwon.
Kim Jong Un’s wife, Ri Sol Ju, and his sister, Kim Yo Jong, were not in the photos, and it is currently unclear if they are part of the entourage.
Since Kim Ju Ae made her first public appearance in November 2022 in North Korea, she has been frequently seen with her father at various events, fueling speculation that she could be Kim Jong Un’s successor. In April this year, Kim Jong Un and his daughter also attended the completion ceremony for 10,000 apartments in the Pyongyang and Saejang regions.
Some views suggest that Kim Jong Un bringing his daughter on this visit to China could be seen as an announcement to the international community of her position as the next generation leader of North Korea. However, others believe that since North Korea has not officially announced a successor, Kim Ju Ae is just a symbolic figure of the future generation accompanying Kim Jong Un to China, without any indication of her being designated as the successor.
The health status of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has long been a matter of international concern. His health condition is one of the most strictly guarded secrets in North Korea.
According to Nikkei Asia, intelligence sources revealed that Kim Jong Un is believed to have brought a personal toilet with him during his travels as a measure to tightly protect his health information.
Kim Jong Un departed from Pyongyang on Monday, but due to tight security measures on the train, the travel speed was slow, leading to his arrival in Beijing on Tuesday.
The tradition of traveling by train started with Kim Jong Un’s grandfather, Kim Il Sung. Kim Jong Un’s father, Kim Jong Il, also traveled by train, reportedly out of fear of flying.
Experts mentioned by Reuters stated that compared to North Korea’s increasingly aging aircraft, the bulletproof train provides a safer and more comfortable space for large entourages and is equipped with security personnel, dining and convenience facilities, as well as meeting areas.
It is not clear how many dedicated trains North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has used over the years, but South Korean transportation expert Ahn Byung-min noted the need for multiple trains for security reasons.
Ahn explained that each train consists of 10 to 15 carriages, with some exclusively for the leader’s use, including a bedroom, while other carriages transport security and medical personnel.
He added that these carriages typically also contain Kim Jong Un’s office, communication equipment, a restaurant, and a carriage that can accommodate two armored Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Photos released by the North Korean state media on Tuesday showed Kim Jong Un and senior officials resting and smoking next to a green carriage adorned with golden emblems and decorations. Another photo showed Kim Jong Un and North Korean officials sitting in an office with wooden paneling inside the train, with a large golden emblem on the wall behind him.
On Kim Jong Un’s office desk inside the train were a laptop with a golden logo, a phone, a distinctive cigarette case, and bottles containing blue or transparent liquid. The train windows had decorative curtains hanging on them.
A video released by North Korean state television in 2018 showed Kim Jong Un meeting with senior Chinese officials in a spacious train carriage furnished with pink sofas.
In 2020, footage from North Korean state television showed Kim Jong Un traveling by train to a region devastated by a typhoon, providing a glimpse of the interior of one carriage which featured floral-shaped lighting and zebra-patterned fabric chairs.