Kim Jong-un on his way to Hanoi by train, expected to arrive Tues. morning
- 5 years ago
And now, over to our Park Hee-jun who's at the Sofitel Legend Metropole,... a possible venue for the North Korea-U.S. summit.
So Hee-jun, we're hearing that Kim Jong-un is heading to Hanoi on his heavily armored train.
Tell us more about his route to Vietnam.
The North Korean leader is on his way to the Vietnamese capital for his second face-to-face with U.S. President Donald Trump.
He left Pyeongyang on Saturday afternoon, according to North Korea's official state media.
The distance from Pyeongyang to Hanoi is about 45-hundred kilometers.
So it will take him two to three days to reach Hanoi.
Kim is expected to stop at Dong Dang Station in Lang Son,... the Vietnamese city on the border with China,... where he's likely to take a car for the final leg of his journey.
And Ji-yoon, I was at Dong Dang Station yesterday,... and was able to witness some busy scenes.
Government officials were overseeing the renovation of the station.
Employees were busy tidying up the exterior.
And security was evidently tightened,... with every corner of the city being patrolled by police officers.
Even on the way to Lang Son district,... I saw them stationed at major intersections.
Some were even using bomb detectors.
I was able to speak to a railway official,... who confirmed that they're expecting Kim to arrive Tuesday morning. Take a listen.
"We heard that the North Korean leader will use this station for the North Korea-U.S. summit. We were told to get this station into the best condition. We don’t know the exact time, but we’re expecting him on the 26th."
And could Kim Jong-un visit a couple of key places in the country before arriving in Hanoi.
Can you tell us anything about that?
Well everything's being kept tightly under wraps.
But we do have some ideas.
Kim could visit Ha Long Bay, a popular tourist destination.
He's well known for his interest in the tourism industry.
And Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that attracts some 10-thousand tourists a day.
His grandfather Kim Il-sung also paid a visit there in 1964.
Another likely choice is Bac Ninh Province, where there's a Samsung Electronics smartphone factory.
The North's Kim Chang-son who's in charge of protocol also reportedly toured the area.
And it's actually considered a symbol of Vietnam's Doi Moi policy-- Vietnam's economic reforms in the 1980s.
Hai Phong is another economic powerhouse.
The port city is also home to some South Korean companies, including LG Electronics.
And also Vietnam's first automobile brand VinFast.
It's highly likely that he'll stop by at least one of these places before reaching Hanoi Tuesday.
Ji-yoon.
Thank you so much guys for that.
Those were our reporters Lee Ji-won and Park Hee-jun reporting live from Hanoi.
So Hee-jun, we're hearing that Kim Jong-un is heading to Hanoi on his heavily armored train.
Tell us more about his route to Vietnam.
The North Korean leader is on his way to the Vietnamese capital for his second face-to-face with U.S. President Donald Trump.
He left Pyeongyang on Saturday afternoon, according to North Korea's official state media.
The distance from Pyeongyang to Hanoi is about 45-hundred kilometers.
So it will take him two to three days to reach Hanoi.
Kim is expected to stop at Dong Dang Station in Lang Son,... the Vietnamese city on the border with China,... where he's likely to take a car for the final leg of his journey.
And Ji-yoon, I was at Dong Dang Station yesterday,... and was able to witness some busy scenes.
Government officials were overseeing the renovation of the station.
Employees were busy tidying up the exterior.
And security was evidently tightened,... with every corner of the city being patrolled by police officers.
Even on the way to Lang Son district,... I saw them stationed at major intersections.
Some were even using bomb detectors.
I was able to speak to a railway official,... who confirmed that they're expecting Kim to arrive Tuesday morning. Take a listen.
"We heard that the North Korean leader will use this station for the North Korea-U.S. summit. We were told to get this station into the best condition. We don’t know the exact time, but we’re expecting him on the 26th."
And could Kim Jong-un visit a couple of key places in the country before arriving in Hanoi.
Can you tell us anything about that?
Well everything's being kept tightly under wraps.
But we do have some ideas.
Kim could visit Ha Long Bay, a popular tourist destination.
He's well known for his interest in the tourism industry.
And Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that attracts some 10-thousand tourists a day.
His grandfather Kim Il-sung also paid a visit there in 1964.
Another likely choice is Bac Ninh Province, where there's a Samsung Electronics smartphone factory.
The North's Kim Chang-son who's in charge of protocol also reportedly toured the area.
And it's actually considered a symbol of Vietnam's Doi Moi policy-- Vietnam's economic reforms in the 1980s.
Hai Phong is another economic powerhouse.
The port city is also home to some South Korean companies, including LG Electronics.
And also Vietnam's first automobile brand VinFast.
It's highly likely that he'll stop by at least one of these places before reaching Hanoi Tuesday.
Ji-yoon.
Thank you so much guys for that.
Those were our reporters Lee Ji-won and Park Hee-jun reporting live from Hanoi.