North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is currently aboard his heavily fortified bulletproof train en route to the Russian port city of Vladivostok for an upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The practice of undertaking extensive train journeys is a family tradition. The first long-distance train was inaugurated Kim Jong Un's grandfather, Kim Il Sung, who used it to travel to his destinations in Vietnam and Eastern Europe for bilateral meetings.
Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il, also opted for train travel primarily due to his fear of flying. In a notable instance in 2001, Kim Jong Il embarked on an iconic 10-day train journey to reach Moscow, where he engaged in an important meeting with President Putin.
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In adherence to a longstanding tradition among North Korean leaders, Kim Jong Un is currently on a meticulously planned train journey that will span over 20 hours and cover a distance of roughly 1,180 kilometers (733 miles) en route to Russia.
In 2010, a former bodyguard of Kim Jong Il disclosed to South Korean media that the former North Korean leader feared a potential aerial attacks by adversaries, discouraging him from air travel. This apprehension appears to have been passed down to the current leader, Kim Jong Un, who rarely ventures outside of North Korea. Apart from his visits to China and Russia, he also went on a 2-day long train journey to Vietnam in 2019. The singular instance when he opted for air travel was during his visit to Singapore for a historic meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Much of what is known about the train is shrouded in secrecy, gleaned from intelligence reports, limited recollections of officials allowed on board in the past, and rare glimpses captured by state news media.
The train boasts an air of opulence with an onboard restaurant that serves a tantalising array of dishes, including exquisite fresh lobster and fine French wines, providing a dining experience fit for a leader.
Security is paramount, with reports indicating that there are at least 90 high-security carriages at Kim's disposal. This arrangement typically includes an advance security train, the leader's train, and a third train carrying additional bodyguards and essential supplies.
Contrasting with the high-speed rail systems found in cities like London and Japan, Kim's train moves at a considerably slower pace, chugging along at approximately 50 kilometers per hour (31 miles per hour) due to its heavy armour.
The train is given the symbolic name "Taeyangho," which translates to "the sun" in the Korean language, serving as a poignant reference to the nation's founder, Kim Il Sung.
Security agents maintain a constant vigilance, ensuring the train's safety by carefully scanning routes and monitoring stations for potential threats throughout the journey.
Russian military commander Konstantin Pulikovsky's memoir provided an insight into the train's extravagance, noting that it offered a remarkable variety of cuisines, including Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and French. The train's provisions even included live lobsters to guarantee the freshness of delicacies, making it a truly exceptional travel experience, surpassing the comforts of Putin's private train.