Russian military official Konstantin Pulikovsky, one of the few allowed to ride Kim’s “moving castle,” spoke of the extravagance found inside.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in Russia on Tuesday, on an exceptional visit, the first since 2019, to hold discussions with his ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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But the North Korean leader’s use of a train instead of a plane raised many question marks about the reason behind this.
So why does the North Korean leader use trains?
Kim Jong-un’s train is no ordinary one, and experts believe the green and yellow locomotive is bulletproof.
The aforementioned train includes 90 cars, all equipped with bulletproof sides to ensure Kim’s safety.
A 2009 article in the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo stated that the locomotive usually travels simultaneously with two other trains, one at the front for security checks and the other at the back for bodyguards and other staff.
The Guardian newspaper reported in a report that as Kim’s train approaches the arrival station, power is cut off to other tracks to stop the passage of trains in the area.
Because of all the equipment it contains, the train is considered slow, traveling at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour.
In comparison, London’s high-speed rail reaches speeds of around 200 kilometers per hour, while Japan’s shinkansen bullet trains can reach speeds of up to 320 kilometers per hour.
Luxury train
But Kim Jong-un’s train is not only impressive because of its security features. These vehicles are like a palace on wheels.
In his memoirs, Russian military official Konstantin Pulikovsky, one of the few who was allowed to ride Kim’s “moving castle,” spoke of the extravagance found within.
“It was possible to order any dish from Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and French cuisine,” he said.
He also wrote in his memoirs how lobsters were transported live to the train to ensure their freshness, along with crates of French red wine on the train.
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The BBC quoted him as saying, “Even Putin’s private train did not enjoy the comfort that this train enjoys.”
Aside from food and wine, the train also offers all the amenities, equipped with wood-panelled conference rooms, as well as bedrooms and flat-screen TVs.
History of use of the train
Kim Jong-un is not the first North Korean leader to travel by train. In fact, the country’s leaders have historically chosen to travel by this means rather than by plane.
This is said to be because Kim’s father, Kim Jong-il, and grandfather, Kim Il-sung, were afraid of flying. South Korean media speculated that the fear began after the two witnessed their plane explode during a test flight.
Kim Jong-un, on the other hand, is not afraid to fly, having flown on his own Russian-made plane for several trips.
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According to Reuters, in May 2018, Kim Jong Un flew his personal Ilyushin plane to the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian and met with Xi Jinping.
In June of the same year, the North Korean leader also used a Boeing 747 operated by China Airlines to Singapore to attend the first summit between North Korea and the United States.
It is worth noting that the last time Kim traveled to Russia in 2019, he made the trip by train, crossing the Tumen River border into Russia.
The North Korean leader is not the only world leader who has recently chosen to travel by train or air.
Due to threats from the ongoing war in Ukraine, almost all visitors to Kiev chose the train from Poland. This includes US President Joe Biden, who visited the war-torn capital in February this year.
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Kim’s host, Vladimir Putin, is also known to have his own luxury secret armored train.
A Washington Post report noted that the Russian strongman has traveled more regularly by rail since 2021 due to concerns about his personal security.
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2023-09-12 17:00:56
