[imText1]Shenyang, China — Dandong Station, through which Kim Jong Il’s private train is likely to pass at some point early tomorrow morning, started betraying signs of an impending visitor this afternoon.
The train carrying Kim departed from Beijing at around 2:20PM, presumably to begin the journey back to Pyongyang.
At around 3PM, the Chinese domestic security forces could be seen getting into position, questioning people passing through the neighborhoods surrounding the station. In addition, the border guard covering the bridge between Dandong and Sinuiju has been strengthened, and the bridge is being inspected.
Meanwhile, at two hotels near the bridge, the Jungryeon and Gukmun, rooms are unavailable. A guest at one of the hotels explained, “The hotel told me they had received a demand to empty all rooms by 6PM. I don’t know why exactly; however, they used the phrase ‘emergency’.”
One person working at one of the hotels added, vaguely, “It seems to be connected to North Korea’s plan.”
If Kim’s train maintains an average speed of 70km/h, it should arrive in Dandong before dawn or early tomorrow morning.
Elsewhere, it has been suggested that Kim might return to North Korea across a different border, just as he did on his way into China, when he surprised most people by going through Tumen in North Korea’s northeastern corner, but it is also being suggested that after more than a week away from Pyongyang, he may regard it as best to return as rapidly as possible.
As such, Beijing-Dandong-Shinuiju-Pyongyang is the shortest available route to the North Korean capital. On five of his previous seven trips to the country since 2000, Kim returned via that route.
