The train has once again proven to be the North Korean leadership's favored mode of transportation when conducting major bilateral summits. Kim Jong Un's rail journey to Beijing has drawn parallels with his father's visit to Russia in 2011, when Kim Jong Il traveled to Ulan-Ude to meet then-President Dmitry Medvedev.
Kim Jong Un's adoption of his father's preferred method of transport is not simply a continuity of Kim Jong Il's personal taste. Kim's destination also underscores Beijing's continued prime of place in North Korea's external relationships.
The train has once again proven to be the North Korean leadership's favored mode of transportation when conducting major bilateral summits. Kim Jong Un's rail journey to Beijing has drawn parallels with his father's visit to Russia in 2011, when Kim Jong Il traveled to Ulan-Ude to meet then-President Dmitry Medvedev.
Kim Jong Un's adoption of his father's preferred method of transport is not simply a continuity of Kim Jong Il's personal taste. Kim's destination also underscores Beijing's continued prime of place in North Korea's external relationships.
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