North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is scheduled to attend the 80th anniversary of China's Victory Day parade on the 3rd, and Japanese media are closely watching the possibility of train travel by sending reporters to Dandong, Liaoning Province, a border region between China and North Korea.

Kim Jong Un and Ri Sol-ju arriving at Beijing Station by private train in 2018. Yonhap News.

Asahi Shimbun reported from Dandong on the 1st that security in Dandong has been strengthened, interpreting it as "a state of alert considering the possibility of Chairman Kim passing through by special train."

The newspaper reported, "On the night of the 30th, police vehicles were parked at a hotel adjacent to the station, and officials transported equipment that appeared to be a printer into the hotel," adding, "This appears to be a move in preparation for the security on the day."

It also added that in some hotels in Dandong, accommodation for foreigners is restricted, with the period of restriction varying by hotel, such as "until the 3rd" or "until the 5th," and some hotels responded by asking for nationality and stating, "Foreigners other than North Koreans cannot stay."

However, the newspaper explained, "Kim Jong Un's specific visit schedule to China or mode of transportation has not been disclosed," and "On his previous four visits to China, he used the train to travel to Beijing via Dandong."

Nikkei Shimbun also reported from Dandong on the same day, stating, "Accommodation restrictions at hotels are spreading," and "It appears that local authorities are strengthening security."

It further reported that accommodation is restricted not only at hotels about 1 km away from the Yalu River, which borders China and North Korea, but also at facilities about 10 km away.

In relation to this, a local accommodation provider is said to have stated, "There was a verbal notice from the public security authorities."

Nikkei conveyed the local atmosphere by saying, "On the 30th, there were unusual points, such as the absence of souvenir stalls near the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, but the surrounding area was bustling as usual."

Yonhap News