Speculation has been raised that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will travel to Vietnam by train and then take a car to Hanoi for his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Kim is anticipated to arrive at Dong Dang rail station in the northern province of Lang Son on the Chinese border on Tuesday morning, a day before the summit.
According to local media on Saturday, Vietnam's Ministry of Transport has decided to ban the passage of trucks weighing over ten tons and passenger vehicles with more than nine seats on a 170-kilometer section of National Highway One stretching from the border city of Dong Dang to capital Hanoi. The ban will take effect from 7 p.m. Monday to 2 p.m. Tuesday.
No vehicles will be allowed on that route 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday.
This kind of traffic control is known to be unprecedented in Vietnam.
This has raised speculation the North Korean leader is likely to move to Hanoi in a passenger car on Highway One after he arrives in Dong Dang on his special train.
Without any traffic, the car drive from Dong Dang to Hanoi will take two to three hours.
A North Korean delegation led by Kim Chang-son, an official at the State Affairs Commission, also visited Dong Dang station last Sunday. Access to the station has also been blocked in recent days, reportedly due to renovation work.
