He departed from Pyongyang by his distinctive green train on Monday, to Beijing. Once again the North Korean leader chose to go to a country using a train.
He had done the same time the previous time he visited China, but also on his other trips to Vietnam and. But what is the reason he travels by train?
What is there in the trains
Compared to the old North Korean passenger aircraft fleet, bulletproof trains offer a safer and more comfortable space for a large escort, security guards, food and amenities, as well as a place to discuss the agendas before the meetings, the experts say.
It is not clear how many trains the North Korean leaders have used over the years. According to the foreign media, trains have 10 to 15 wagons each. Some of them are used only by Kim Jong Un and others carry security guards and medical staff.
At the same time, they also have room for the Kim office, communication equipment, a restaurant and wagons for two armored Mercedes. From the photos released by the wagons are decorated with golden coats of arms and decorative elements.
In Kim Jong Un’s office there is always a laptop with gold relief, a telephone bank and a box with the cigarettes bearing its signature.
How it crosses the border
When Kim Jong Un went by train to Russia, his wheel complexes had to be redefined at a border station. This was because the two countries use different rail measures.
In his trips to China there is a prediction to change the train steam. In fact, the Chinese even take care of the color details, since the first wagon is always green.
The train can reach speeds of up to 80 km/h on China’s network, compared to a maximum of about 45 km/h on the North Korean lines.
Kim follows the delivery
North Korean leader Kim Il Sung, Kim’s grandfather regularly traveled by train abroad. So did Kim Jong Il’s father to visit Russia three times. In fact, he traveled 20,000 kilometers to reach Moscow in 2001.
In 2022, state television showed Kim Jong Un to do what he called a “exhausting train tour” in North Korea. The purpose of the trip was to inspect corn crops and promote a “communist utopia”.
