The vintage train has become emblematic of Kim’s lineage and his isolated country. It has long been shrouded in mystery, transporting generations of the Kim family domestically and on infrequent international journeys.

North Korean state media outlet Rodong Sinmun confirmed early Tuesday that Kim’s train has entered China, releasing photos of the leader smiling on board, seated at a wooden table with a North Korean flag in the background. He is joined by high-level officials, including Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, according to the foreign ministry.

It includes conference rooms, an audience chamber, and sleeping quarters, equipped with satellite phone connections and flat-screen televisions, the paper reported. During Kim Jong Il’s era, about 20 stations were established for the family train, the paper noted.

Kim has used this train on several trips abroad, though he has also previously travelled by plane and private jet.

Kim utilized the train for his last overseas visit – a 2023 trip to Russia’s far east for discussions with President Vladimir Putin. Images shared by state media at that time offered insight into the train, displaying polished wooden floors and an elegantly designed white doorway.

In 2022, state media broadcasted footage of Kim working from his office on the train and relaxing while smoking in a short-sleeved shirt, as reported by South Korean agency Yonhap.

And during a 2018 visit when Kim met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, footage from North Korean state media captured Chinese officials boarding the train to greet Kim. The delegations conducted discussions on board, sitting on two lengths of pink sofas, as shown in photos.

Besides international travel, the train has also been featured in state propaganda, with the Kim family going on long train journeys to meet ordinary North Koreans, Reuters reported.

A life-sized model of one of the train’s carriages is displayed in a mausoleum outside the North Korean capital Pyongyang, where the remains of Kim’s father and grandfather are kept.