In his grandfather's footsteps, North Korea's Kim arrives in Vietnam
HANOI (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un became the first leader of his isolated country to travel to Vietnam since his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, visited in 1964 when he arrived on Tuesday for a summit with US President Donald Trump.
In imagery that could have powerful propaganda value at home, Kim Jong Un will mimic aspects of his grandfather’s trip to Vietnam by traveling to some of the same locations visited by the elder Kim, two sources with direct knowledge of security and logistics planning told Reuters.
Even Kim Jong Un’s long train journey through North Korea and thousands of kilometers across China to reach Vietnam is similar to the grand train voyages his grandfather once took.
His armored train is made up of carriages decked out with pink leather chairs and big-screen televisions.
In Vietnam, one of his destinations will be the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh, the sources said. It is home to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO world heritage site dotted with steep-sided islands which attracted more than 12 million tourists last year.
Kim Il Sung visited Ha Long Bay in 1964 during his second visit to Vietnam.
Kim’s train arrived at the Vietnamese border station of Dong Dang early on Tuesday, where he disembarked to travel the 170 km (105 miles) to Hanoi by car.
Top Vietnamese officials were on hand to receive him at the station with a red-carpet including a guard of honor and North Korean and Vietnamese flags flying.
Kim’s close aide, Kim Chang Son, who has been in Hanoi for several days preparing for the summit, was spotted at the station before Kim’s arrival. His sister, who has emerged as an important aide to Kim and traveled with him from Pyongyang, was spotted getting off the train before he disembarked.
Kim will meet Trump on Wednesday and Thursday.
Over the weekend, Vietnam announced that it will ban traffic on the road from the station to Hanoi on Tuesday.
In Hanoi, North Korean and US flags flew along main thoroughfares and a bridge crossing the Red River into the city.
Trump and Kim are expected to meet for their second summit in Hanoi’s Government Guesthouse, an elegant, colonial-era building in the city center, or at the nearby Metropole Hotel, sources have told Reuters.
Trump will arrive in Vietnam on Tuesday evening.