North Korean train in Beijing suggests Kim Jong Un visit

An armored train on Tuesday completed a round trip from Pyongyang to Beijing amid speculation it carried North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. If confirmed, the trip would be his first out of the country since he took power in 2011. On Tuesday afternoon, a convoy that included about a dozen cars headed for the railway station in Beijing, which authorities closed to the public. Video footage from Japanese broadcaster NTV showed a convoy of black limousines already waiting at the station and several Chinese soldiers standing guard along the station’s platform. On Monday evening, a convoy entered the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, where senior foreign leaders often lodge. The convoy left the guest house Tuesday. It remained unclear whether Kim made the trip or sent an envoy. During his father Kim Jong II’s leadership, the ruling party confirmed his visits to China only after he crossed the border back into North Korea. The South Korean presidential office said it could not confirm whether Kim or his younger sister Kim Jo Yong boarded the train. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying also declined to say who made the trip. “I know you’re all very curious, but I have no information on that,” she said.