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The North Korean delegation to the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics lands at Incheon International Airport in the Chammae-1, the private plane of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in February 2018. (Blue House photo pool)
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Analysts consider possibility of N. Korean leader chartering Chinese plane for flight to Hanoi
Since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s route and means of transportation to Hanoi, Vietnam, for his second summit with US President Donald Trump remain a mystery, several scenarios are being proposed. One question is whether he will visit China on his way to or from Vietnam to hold a fifth summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The primary question is whether Kim will fly to Hanoi in his official airplane, the Chammae-1. Kim’s airplane is a retrofitted version of the Ilyushin Il-62, a medium-range aircraft that’s technically capable of flying 10,000km. That means the plane could fly from Pyongyang to Hanoi, a distance of 2,760km, without any stops along the way. But when Kim traveled to Singapore, a distance of 4,700km, for the first North Korea-US summit in June 2018, he chartered a top-of-the-line Chinese jet, while his entourage flew to Singapore on the Chammae-1. Some North Koreans were reportedly displeased about their supreme leader hopping on another country’s aircraft. But it remains possible that Kim will once again charter a Chinese airplane. If Kim does decide to fly on his private plane, some suggest the pilots will need to do a dry run. “North Korean pilots have relatively little flight experience. They might have one or two practice flights this week,” said one diplomatic source. “Since there’s generally ample information about international flight paths and airports, a preliminary visit can’t be regarded as necessary, but some practice flights might be held to ensure safety,” an official in the aviation industry said. Some have also mentioned the possibility of Kim passing through China on a private train. But with a one-way travel time of nearly three days, observers suggested the prospect is unrealistic. Another possibility that has been predicted in some quarters is that Kim will stop in China for a summit on his way back from the Hanoi summit. Since last year, Kim has visited China four times to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Mar. 3 opening of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) ushers in the “two sessions” season when China holds its biggest political events of the year. “There is a possibility President Xi could meet with Chairman Kim ahead of the CPPCC’s opening to discuss the outcome of the North Korea-US summit,” a diplomatic source in Beijing predicted. Some also predicting that Kim could stop in the city of Guangzhou in Guangdong Province – considered “sacred ground” in terms of Chinese reforms and openness – or Sanya on Hainan Island, which Xi is pushing as a new free trade zone. North Korean State Affairs Commission Chief Secretary Kim Chang-son, who is coordinating security and protocol for the North Korea-US summit, traveled to Hanoi by way of Guangzhou – a route that some see as hinting that Kim Jong-un may stop in the city as well. Analysts have also suggested Kim Chang-son’s stop in Guangzhou came while seeking the fastest flight to Hanoi. Another possibility that cannot be ruled out is that Kim Jong-un will return to Pyongyang after the Hanoi summit and then visit China again to meet with Xi during the two session period in March. By Kim Oi-hyun, Beijing correspondent Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
