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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends the completion ceremony of the Nakwon County Marine Farming Enterprise, a large-scale aquaculture base in South Hamgyong Province, on August 30. The event was reported by the Korean Central News Agency on August 31. / Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to depart Pyongyang by special train on September 1 for Beijing, where he will attend China’s Victory Day military parade on September 3. The journey takes roughly 20 to 24 hours, meaning he would need to leave Monday to arrive the day before the parade.

Multiple government sources said Kim is most likely traveling by train rather than his personal aircraft, “Chammae-1.” The jet has not been used in recent years, with some analysts citing its aging condition as the reason for Kim’s reluctance.

Kim has visited China four times before: by train in March 2018 and January 2019, and by plane in May and June 2018. This time, the suspension of passenger train service between Dandong and Beijing for two days starting September 1 has fueled speculation that the route is being cleared for Kim’s armored train, which could cross the border late Monday night.

In Beijing, Kim is expected to stay at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, the official accommodation for visiting dignitaries, where he lodged during all three of his previous visits to the Chinese capital.

On September 3, he is likely to stand alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Tiananmen Gate reviewing platform for the Victory Day parade.