▲ This file photo shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un aboard his special armored train. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) NK leader-China

(LEAD) N.K. leader Kim departs for Beijing by private train to attend China's Victory Day anniv.: KCNA

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout)

SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un departed for Beijing by private train to attend a Chinese event marking the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender and the end of World War II, Pyongyang's state media said early Tuesday, in what will be his debut on the multilateral diplomatic stage.

Kim Chon-il, director of the North's foreign ministry's press and information department, confirmed his departure on Monday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, as the reclusive leader is expected to stand alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a military parade on Wednesday.

Kim's first visit to the Chinese capital since January 2019 comes as he seeks to improve traditional ties with China and boasts a deepening military alignment with Russia at a time when Seoul, Washington and Tokyo are tightening security cooperation.

"Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, left here for Beijing by his private train on Sept. 1 to participate in celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War," the KCNA reported, citing a statement by the foreign ministry official.

The North Korean leader is accompanied by senior party and government officials, including Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, the official said. The KCNA did not mention others in Kim's entourage, such as his daughter Ju-ae and his wife Ri Sol-ju.

Kim will be among the 26 foreign leaders whom Beijing said Xi has invited to the high-profile event. It will mark Kim's first attendance at a multilateral event, which analysts had said Pyongyang would shun given its authoritarian governance structure under which its leader must be at the center of attention rather than being placed among equals.

His trip to Beijing came after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's high-profile trip to the United States and Japan last month, where Lee highlighted the importance of trilateral cooperation in the face of North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats.

The anticipated juxtaposition this week of Kim alongside Xi and Putin could bring into sharp relief the splintering of the two geopolitical blocs -- one consisting of the U.S. and its key allies, and the other comprising China and its traditional partners.

Kim's visit to China is expected to serve as an opportunity for his regime to reinforce solidarity with China and Russia, while easing its international isolation long driven by its quest to secure reliable nuclear and missile capabilities, and global sanctions against its weapons programs.

The spectacle of Kim standing with Xi and Putin at a military parade could also help strengthen his hand in future negotiations with the U.S. as U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced his openness to reengaging with the North Korean leader, observers said.

Moreover, Kim's move to improve relations with China could help ease Pyongyang's reliance on Moscow given that a heavy dependence on a single partner country could typically chip away at a weaker nation's autonomy in a bilateral relationship.

Earlier, a source told Yonhap News Agency that the North Korean leader departed for Beijing on Monday afternoon -- a trip along a 1,300-kilometer route, which is expected to take some 20 hours.

His heavily armored and armed train is known to travel at around 60 km per hour due in part to its heavy weight and poor railway conditions on the North Korean side.

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