North Korean state media on October 16 reported on Kim’s visits to construction sites in Samjiyon and his climb up Mt. Paektu on horseback. 

This marks Kim’s third publicized visit to Mt. Paektu since his ascendance to power, excluding his visit to the mountain with the visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in in September 2018.

He previously on April 18, 2015 with Korean People’s Army (KPA) combat pilots, and on December 9, 2017, approximately 10 days after the “great event of November,” a reference to the North’s Hwasong-15 ICBM launch.

As it did this week, Kim