hankyoreh

By Kim Kyu-won, Staff Writer

The train on which Kim Jong-il died Saturday was reported to have departed from Hamhung, South Hamgyong Province.

A government official, on Tuesday, said that Kim left Hamhung before Saturday to finish his last field guidance and return to Pyongyang. "We believe that [Kim's death] happened when the train had just reached the vicinity of Pyongyang," the official added.

The train is believed to have departed Hamhung Station on Friday evening or early Saturday morning, with a scheduled arrival at Pyongyang Station later in the morning. The distance from Hamhung Station to Pyongyang Station on the Pyongyang-Rason railway is about 300 km, or roughly the same distance separating Seoul and Daegu. Given the condition of North Korean rail lines, the trip is estimated to take over five hours, which would put the departure some time around 3 am.

Kim is known to have traveled primarily by night in order to ensure his safety and avoid spy satellites.

Ahn Byeong-min, head of the Korea Transport Institute's Northeast Asia and North Korea Transport Research Center, explained that the Pyongyang-Rason railway "would have been difficult to navigate quickly because of the rough terrain."

Ahn also said the itinerary "clearly showed Kim's habit of resting during the day and working a lot at night."

Korean Central Television reported that Kim paid visits on December 10 to various sites in Hamhung, including a Ryongyong Machine Complex branch factory, the Hamhung Knitting Mill, the Hungnam Shoes Factory, the Songchongang Exports Forwarding Office, and a vegetable greenhouse at the Hoesang Area Farm.

Kim's body, dressed in his familiar Mao jacket, was placed on display Tuesday afternoon, three days after his death. The images of his body aired on KCTV showed him lying on a pillow with red cloth covering his body up to his chest. The pillow and body were placed on a white mattress. Kim was placed inside a transparent glass coffin in Kumsusan Memorial Palace, with the area around decorated with white chrysanthemums and red Kimjongilia flowers. Various medals and decorations he had received during his lifetime were placed in front of the coffin.

The method of enshrinement was generally very similar to the one seen at the time of Kim Il-sung's death in July 1994. Another similarity is the fact that Workers' Party of Korea Central Military Commission vice chairman Kim Jong-un, North Korea's new leader, paid his respects for the first time Tuesday.

The North Korean military also commemorated the death, suspending its ongoing winter exercises.

A Joint Chiefs of Staff official said, "A flag of mourning was put on display from Gijeong-dong Village [in the Demilitarized Zone] to the front lines at around 1 pm on Monday, and some of the units engaged in winter exercises were observed returning to their base."

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