INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightReutersImage caption
Mr Kim had earlier taken a train from North Korea to Beijing
It's
not the most conventional journey, but some reports suggest that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could soon be making his way to Vietnam by
train, for an upcoming summit with US leader Donald Trump.If such a journey does take place, it's expected to take at least two days and
could see Pyongyang's leader travel more than 3,000km (1,860 miles) kilometres to Hanoi.But Mr Kim's travel plans often remain highly
The last summit between the two leaders in Singapore was similarly shrouded in mystery
It was clear Mr Kim would have to fly in but it wasn't clear what plane he would be coming in on until the very last minute
Similarly, it's highly likely we won't find out much about his chosen mode of transport or route until he actually arrives
But what would such a journey look like What route would he takeJapanese and South Korean media first cited sources saying Mr Kim was likely
to take his distinctive green and yellow private train from Pyongyang to cross the border town of Dandong into China and then go onwards to
Later sources told Reuters that Mr Kim would stop at the Vietnamese border station of Dong Dang where he would disembark and drive 170km
However, NK News had earlier speculated that Mr Kim would take a train straight to Hanoi - which would entail a rail route of 4,153km."[If
he takes a train straight to Hanoi] it's likely that he would stop at Gia Lam station," Mark Smith, who runs a train travel website, told
the TheIndianSubcontinent."That is the station that has standard gauge tracks," he said referring to the only kind of tracks that can
accommodate Mr Kim's train.How long would the journey beAccording to Reuters, the journey could take at least two and a half days.This
means he would have to leave in advance to make it in time for his expected arrival in Vietnam on Monday
The summit with Mr Trump is expected to take place 27-28 February.Image copyrightReutersImage caption
Mr Kim's
distinctive green and yellow train
Of course the duration is dependent on whether he takes a car from Dong Dang or a direct
Mr Smith says it could take closer to three nights if he makes the journey entirely by train."It's less than 24 hours from Pyongyang to
Beijing and then from Beijing to Hanoi is about two days," Mr Smith said
"His train is unlikely to exceed 160km/h."Why would he go by trainIt's not clear why he might want to make the long journey by train
His father Kim Jong-il and grandfather Kim ll-sung reportedly had a fear of flying and avoided air travel.But Mr Kim appeared to have no
such issues, making a trip from North Korea to Singapore for the June summit in an Air China plane
However, Mr Smith suggests that the journey by train could be more comfortable than one by air
"Mr Kim's train is likely to have an office, lounge and sleepers," says Mr Smith."He's got room to move and is likely to get lots of
work done and will arrive relaxed
It'd be more like a cruise on rails than the 18:03 to Tunbridge Wells."Why is the summit happening in VietnamIt is an ideal location for
many reasons.Image copyrightAFPImage caption
The first Kim-Trump summit took place last June
It has
diplomatic relations with both the US and North Korea, despite once having been enemies with the US, and could be used by the US as an
example of two countries working together and setting aside their past grievances.Ideologically, both Vietnam and North Korea are communist
countries, though Vietnam has rapidly developed and become one of the fastest growing economies in Asia.
