The North Korean leader traditionally travel long distances via train (Picture: Shutterstock)
Kim Jong-un has just made a 20-hour journey in his bulletproof train to get Russia for a summit with Vladimir Putin.
The North Korean leader opted to spend the extra time travelling in what has been dubbed a ‘moving fortress’ rather than take a shorter flight.
This has been a family tradition since his grandad Kim Il-sung started using trains to get to Vietnam and Eastern Europe.
It is considered much safer to travel by train than plane, with security agents routinely sent ahead to check routes and stations for any threats.
While relying on railways makes the trek much longer, Kim has certainly made sure he is comfortable throughout.
His 90-carriage train is stocked with fresh lobster as well as cases of French Bordeaux and Burgundy red wines, according to Konstantin Pulikovsky, a Russian official who was also onboard.
The train is equipped so that there are no interruptions to work – with bedrooms, conference rooms and audience chambers.
The dark green train seen leaving Beijing Railway Station in Beijing on January 9, 2019 (Picture: Getty)
Members of the North Korean delegation prepare Kim Jong Un’s train for the departure in 2019 (Picture: Getty)
Passengers have access to satellite phones and flat-screen TVs for briefings with those still in Pyongyang.
The dark green train has bulletproof windows along with reinforced walls and floors so those inside are protected against explosives. It also carries attack weapons and a helicopter, according to Seoul’s unification.
All this extra weight means the train moves at just 37 miles per hour.
For comparison, Eurostar trains on the HS1 line between London and the Channel Tunnel can reach 186 miles per hour, according to Trainline.
Kim once travelled around 2,800 miles, for two and a half days, through China to meet former US president Donald Trump in Vietnam.
This week’s journey to Russia is Kim’s first trip abroad since the coronavirus pandemic.
It is believed Kim and Putin will meet after the Eastern Economic Forum scheduled for tomorrow in the port city of Vladivostok.
The North Korean and Russian leaders last met in 2019 (Picture: AP)
Kim Jong Un greets attendants in Pyongyang, North Korea, before boarding on a train to Russia(Picture: AP)
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: ‘There will be negotiations between two delegations, and after that, if necessary, the leaders will continue their communication in a one-on-one format.’
The West is worried about the pair striking up an arms deal to provide weapons to Russian fighters in Ukraine.
Monday saw the US State Department warning that this kind of agreement could trigger sanctions.
But Mr Peskov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying: ‘As you know, while implementing our relations with our neighbours, including North Korea, the interests of our two countries are important to us, and not warnings from Washington. It is the interests of our two countries that we will focus on.’
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