Kim Jong-un leaves for Pyongyang from Beijing

File photo

Beijing: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un returned home on Wednesday from Beijing by train, concluding a surprise visit that sparked expectation of a second summit with the US on denuclearising the Korean Peninsula. Kim`s armoured train departed from Beijing at 2.08 p.m., according to South Korea`s Yonhap news agency.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not confirm the information on Kim`s journey but said it would issue an official press release. Kim is expected to reach the North Korean capital on Thursday, reports Efe news.

As on previous occasions, Kim`s agenda has not been made public, but he is reported to have held a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday. Yonhap reported that on Wednesday, Kim visited the facilities of a Chinese traditional medicine firm for close to 30 minutes, after which he had lunch with Xi.

This was Kim`s fourth visit to China in the last year and came amid reported preparations for a second meeting between Kim and US president Donald Trump to resume denuclearization talks. The first meeting between Kim and Xi in Beijing took place ahead of North Korea`s participation in the Winter Olympics held in South Korea, which kicked off a process of rapprochement between the two Koreas.

The other two summits with Xi in May and June occurred soon after his meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and with Trump in Singapore.