Kim Jong-un’s arrival to Russia got off to a false start, as the North Korean leader’s armoured train overshot and missed the red carpet. Footage shows the armoured train missing the red carpet by a few inches, making it difficult for attendants to place the ramp in the correct position. Attendants holding each ramp appear concerned, as the train inches backwards so that the red carpet and doors are aligned. The door is then opened for Chairman Kim who smiles, puts on his hat and walks down the ramp.
Twitter users reacted to the footage, with one posting: “What could possibly go wrong.”
Another said: “Or just move the carpet…”
A third added: “Oh my word. They expected that train driver to be able to stop on a dime?”
The blunder came ahead of the North Korean leader’s talks with President Putin, in the pairs’ historic first-ever meeting.
The Russian President was full of praise for the North Korean leader and “welcomed” his efforts to “normalise” its nuclear weapons programme, following a summit in Vladivostok, eastern Russia.
President Putin also sought to progress “bilateral relations” with Pyongyang and seek a solution to the ongoing rift between North Korea and the US.
The Russian leader said: “I’m sure your visit to Russia will also help to develop our bilateral relations and will help us to understand the ways we can help to settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula, what can be done together, what Russia can do to support the positive processes that are taking their place now.
“We welcome your efforts on developing inter-Korean dialogue and your efforts on normalising the U.S.-North Korean relations. And of course, in terms of bilateral agenda, we need to achieve a lot to develop trade and economic ties and humanitarian ties.”
The North Korean leader, who had arrived in Vladivostok a day earlier on board his armoured train, said the situation on the Korean peninsula “is an issue that the world is very interested in.”
Chairman Kim added he hoped for “a very useful meeting in developing the relationship between the two countries, who have a long friendship and history, into a more stable and sound one”.
He said: “I would like to offer again a sincere gratitude to Mr. President for making time in his busy schedule and come thousands of miles from the capital city of Moscow to here to give us time for a great conversation.
“We are visiting Russia this time to meet in person with President Putin and exchange our opinions. It is to exchange our mutual views on Korean Peninsula and this region’s political landscape which is a great focus of the world’s attention.”
He added: “It is also to work for stabilisation of this regions political landscape and to deeply share opinion on issues that pertains to jointly managing the political landscape in the future.
“Another purpose was to exchange opinions on the issues like growing and developing our two nation’s traditional relationship into one that is more solid and constructive according to the demand of the new century.”
The landmark summit follows two months on from a second meeting between Chairman Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump.
However February’s talks in Hanoi broke down after the two world superpowers were unable to reach an agreement to lift sanctions in exchange for North Korea abandoning its nuclear and missile programs.