Kim Jong-un in Russia - A smart person travels by train - This also applies to Kim Jong-un

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Unlike other heads of state, Kim Jong Un chooses the train rather than the plane: it is the safer option.

On September 10, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un began his 20-hour flight to Vladivostok. In Russia, he met with Russian President Putin for talks on military aid. Kim traveled on a bulletproof train.

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Kim Jong Un waved goodbye in the capital, Pyongyang. The flight to Vladivostok in neighboring Russia took 20 hours.

Reuters

This is why Kim travels by train: According to experts, the North Korean dictator travels by train for practical reasons. There he can continue to rule the country, receiving faxes, emails and holding meetings. Compared to the country’s air fleet, the train is a slower but safer and more comfortable alternative. According to insiders, Kim also decided to take the train for safety reasons. Kim’s private plane, the Shamai-1, a Soviet-era Ilyushin Il-62, is very old and in poor condition. The plane is no longer in production and spare parts are difficult to obtain.

Kim is on the train with people in pink chairs

Train equipment: The “moving castle”, as the train is also called, is generously equipped: with a bedroom, meeting rooms, reception room, dining room and bathroom, so that Kim feels at home. It appears that several identical models were manufactured in the capital, Pyongyang. The train is equipped with bulletproof windows and reinforced walls and floors to protect against explosives. Weapons and an emergency escape helicopter are also part of the equipment.

Previous trips: Kim generally takes long train trips. In 2018, Kim Jong Un chose a different means of transportation to meet Donald Trump in Singapore: the plane. Instead of traveling on one of his private planes, he flew from China on a Boeing 747. It appears that Kim chose the China Airlines plane because it was safer.

Continuing family traditions: Kim Jong Un’s father and grandfather were already traveling by train. His father, Kim Jong Il, who was said to have a fear of flying, traveled to Russia exclusively by train. A three-week train trip to Moscow in 2001 was the longest trip he had made, covering 20,000 kilometres. Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s founder and first dictator, also chose the train for his trips abroad.