Explore Kim Jong Un’s recent visit to Russia in the midst of US tensions. Learn about its implications and significance.
The US said that the US-Russia summit between President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un will center on providing weaponry for Moscow’s attack on Ukraine. Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, has arrived in Russia. Photos of Kim Jong Un’s journey on his bulletproof, lavishly adorned, massively armored, and painfully slow private train indicate that he was likely accompanied by top representatives of the armaments industry, in addition to diplomats and military officers.
In contrast to London’s high-speed rail, which travels at roughly 200 km/hour, and Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains, which can reach 320 km/hour, reports indicate that Kim Jong Un’s train is so hefty that it cannot travel past 59 km/hour.
Both Kim Jong Il, the father of Kim Jong Un, and Kim Il Sung, the grandfather, reportedly feared flying. According to earlier reports in South Korean media, Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung may have observed their plane explode on a test flight, which is thought to have caused the anxiety.
According to the news agency AP, Kim Il Sung’s flight to the Soviet Union in 1986, which followed that episode, was the final occasion a North Korean leader had traveled overseas in the open for more than three decades.
According to experts, as reported by Reuters, armored trains provide a safer and more pleasant room for a big entourage, security personnel, food and amenities, and a place to debate agendas before meetings than the nation’s aging fleet of airplanes.
However, it has been said that Kim Jong Un frequently traveled while attending boarding school in Switzerland.
However, he has occasionally chosen to travel after taking office in 2011, including to Singapore in 2018 for his first encounter with the then-US president Donald Trump.
Many speculate that his penchant for taking trains may be an expression of respect for his elders and family history.
What is known about the lavish train of Kim Jong Un
Military honor guards and throngs of people waving flowers and flags as he boarded the dark green train, which is thought to be armored and contain other specialized equipment, were captured in photos issued by state media.
Reuters stated that the train used by Kim Jong Un’s father and grandparents features 21 bulletproof carriages with luxury leather sofas and meeting rooms.
Kim Jong Un might think that the armored railway offers greater security and comfort than an aircraft.
According to Chosun Media, the main entourage travels in two distinct trains. The one in front handles security checks to make sure the railway rails are secure, and the one in back transports bodyguards and support staff.
According to The Washington Post, there may be further comforts on board. Konstantin Pulikovsky, a Russian politician, provided one of the most in-depth accounts of journeying on a North Korean leader’s train when he wrote about his journey with Kim Jong Il in the book “Orient Express.” In his book, Pulikovsky described a gourmet dinner with a wide selection of dishes.
According to The Chosun Ilbo, about 100 security agents are dispatched in advance to stations to comb them for potential threats and to turn off the electricity to stop other trains from operating. The publication said in 2009 that there is also a sizable logistical support group that includes Mi-17 helicopters and Soviet-made Il-76 air force cargo planes.
Easy lobster thermidor to eat
Kim traveled 680 kilometers (423 miles) from Pyongyang to Vladivostok in Russia, and it was believed that it took him 20 hours to complete the journey. This is slower than the Tour de France winner’s average speed. However, Bloomberg claimed that eating lobster thermidor in a luxurious dining car is far more convenient than pedaling quickly.
Russia visit by Kim Jong Un
According to Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, Kim Jong Un’s travel to Russia and meeting with Vladimir Putin would be extensive. The relations between the neighboring nations will be the primary subject of discussion, according to Peskov. We’ll keep developing our friendship, he said. Although both Moscow and Pyongyang have refuted past US charges that they have engaged in arms deals, the two nations have promised to strengthen their defense cooperation.
Because of its weight, the North Korean leader’s train can only travel at 59 km/h.
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