North Korea's ruling Workers' Party newspaper has reported that the country's leader Kim Jong Un left the capital Pyongyang for Russia on a special train on Sunday afternoon.

The Rodong Sinmun on Tuesday carried photos showing Kim wearing a black outfit and being greeted by military honor guards standing on a red-carpeted platform at a station. Kim is also shown boarding the green-colored train.

Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and other officials are reportedly accompanying him on the trip.

The latest report followed an announcement by North Korea on Monday that Kim would soon visit Russia to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin.

This will be Kim's first visit to Russia in four years, and his second summit with Putin. Kim visited Russia in April 2019.

It will also be the North Korean leader's first confirmed overseas trip since the coronavirus pandemic.

The train appears to be heading to Vladivostok in the Russian Far East. The details of the schedule have not been released.