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

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

NK leader-China

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

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 Tuesday, in what will be his debut on the multilateral diplomatic stage.

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

"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," KCNA reported, citing the foreign ministry official.

The North Korean leader is accompanied by senior party and government officials, including Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, the official was quoted as saying.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved