Kim Jong-un back in Pyongyang after Vietnam trip

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is back in Pyongyang after concluding his first official state visit to Vietnam and holding his second summit with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi, state media reported on Tuesday.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim's armoured train arrived at the Pyongyang train station at 3 a.m. on Tuesday. He was received by senior officials and an honour guard of the North Korean Army, Efe news reported.

The train concluded a 4,500 km journey that began on March 2 in the Vietnamese town of Dong Dang, near the border with China, just after the North Korean leader attended the last acts of his two-day official visit to Vietnam.

KCNA made no mention in its reports about the summit held between Kim and Trump in Hanoi on February 27 and 28, although the North Korean media did mention the meeting on March 1, when they described it as "constructive" and "positive".

The meeting ended early and without any agreement reached regarding the denuclearization of North Korea and the relief of sanctions imposed on Pyongyang, although both sides have made an effort to emphasise their willingness to maintain open dialogue and to hold another meeting at the highest level in the near future.

During its journey back home, the train did not stop anywhere on Chinese territory, but passed through the cities of Benxi, Tianjin and Shanhaiguan, ending speculation about a possible meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

--IANS

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