Who are the North Korean officials accompanying Kim Jong Un to China?
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North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (left) is seen before he departs from Pyongyang by special train to visit China, on Sept 1.
PHOTO: AFP
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SEOUL - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un crossed the border into China on his special armoured train early on Aug 2 to attend a celebration of the formal surrender of Japan in World War II, state media said.
On the rare overseas trip for the largest multilateral diplomatic event Kim has attended, he is expected to engage with foreign leaders from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Here are details of the North Korean officials photographed with Mr Kim on or around the train. It is unclear if all are travelling with him.
Choe Son Hui
Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui is one of the few North Korean women to hold high office. She was appointed in 2022, having previously been the first vice minister of foreign affairs.
Ms Choe has been one of the very few officials closely involved in North Korea’s diplomacy on weapons development for more than 20 years, dating from the early days of its nuclear programme.
Ms Choe has been sighted during Mr Kim Jong Un’s previous high-profile meetings with other world leaders, including summits with US President Donald Trump during Mr Trump’s first term.
State media mentioned her by name as one of the officials travelling with Mr Kim, and photographed her sitting beside him in the special train.
Kim Song Nam
Mr Kim Song Nam is the director of the International Affairs Department (IAD) of the sole ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, which manages party-to-party ties with China’s ruling Communist Party.
In that position, he is Kim Jong Un’s lead adviser and point man on China-North Korea relations, said Mr Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert with the US-based Stimson Center.
Mr Kim Song Nam has been an interpreter for all three members of the ruling dynasty, including Mr Kim Jong Un’s father and grandfather, in interactions with Chinese leaders, Mr Madden said.
A state media photograph showed him sitting alongside Mr Kim Jong Un and Ms Choe on the train.
Kim Tok Hun
A secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Mr Kim Tok Hun is a former premier who led its economic and internal affairs.
In January, he also became chairman of the budget committee of the legislature, the Supreme People’s Assembly, said South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs.
Mr Kim is a rare rags-to-riches story in North Korea, having been a factory manager in his early career before rising to the top ruling echelon, analysts have said.
A state media photograph showed Mr Kim Tok Hun standing with Mr Kim Jong Un on a platform outside the train.
Jo Yong Won
In 2022, Mr Jo Yong Won became the director of the organisation and guidance department of the ruling party, a powerful body that governs nearly every aspect of life in North Korea.
It handles personnel changes in party organisations and direction of policy implementation.
In 2019, Mr Jo was on Mr Kim’s long train trip to Vietnam for a summit with Mr Trump.
State media did not mention Mr Jo or his name for several weeks in 2025, setting off speculation about his standing before he featured again in July.
A state media photograph showed Mr Jo standing with Mr Kim Jong Un on a platform beside the train. REUTERS
