Special Train Taeyangho with Heavy Gloves Added
North Korean Leader Feared Assassination, Preferred Train
Safety Issues of Old National Airline Passenger Aircraft
The dedicated train "Taeyang-ho," reportedly boarded by North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un when traveling to Russia, is drawing attention. This train, heavily armored with bulletproof steel plates, moves at an average speed of 50 km/h, which is considered quite slow, but it is said to be equipped with luxurious facilities reminiscent of a hotel.
According to the U.S. media outlet Washington Post (WP), the dedicated train "Taeyang-ho" that Chairman Kim boarded is a massive train surrounded by dark green bulletproof armor plates.
The media reports that North Korean leaders have feared air travel since the era of President Kim Il-sung and have preferred traveling abroad by specially made trains designed for themselves.
Chairman Kim has only traveled overseas by airplane twice in the past five years. In 2018, he boarded a Boeing 747 operated by Air China for a summit with former U.S. President Donald Trump, and in the same year, he took a North Korean passenger plane for a short trip to Dalian, China, for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Other than these occasions, he has always used the Taeyang-ho.
Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, departed Pyongyang by his special train on the afternoon of the 10th to visit Russia, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 12th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The Taeyang-ho is said to be a secretive presence even within North Korea. Almost no one outside the top elite class has seen Chairman Kim boarding the Taeyang-ho.
The Taeyang-ho is characterized by a unique color scheme of dark green with yellow borders, and inside, there is a space designated for high-ranking official briefings. WP cited a book compiled from the experience of a former Russian official who rode on the dedicated train used by North Korean leaders, suggesting that "the interior of the Taeyang-ho is likely adorned with all kinds of luxurious items."
The train cars have tables where any cuisine can be ordered, including Korean-style, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and French dishes, and it is said that rare wines and even live lobsters can be enjoyed. Two ultra-expensive foreign cars are also reportedly carried inside the train.
The dedicated trains, including the Taeyang-ho, travel at about 50 km/h, which is much slower than typical trains. The slow speed is due to the heavy armor plates loaded onto the train.
Moreover, around 100 security personnel are always deployed along the train’s route, and because of this, significant traffic issues reportedly occur within North Korea whenever the dedicated train moves.
Due to this slow speed, size limitations, and complex security issues, Chairman Kim’s train journeys always take considerable time. For example, traveling from North Korea to Vladivostok, Russia, takes about 20 hours, and to Vietnam, it reportedly takes more than 65 hours.
WP pointed out that despite this, North Korean leaders favor trains due to "safety concerns." Both President Kim Il-sung and Chairman Kim Jong-un feared the possibility of being intercepted by someone else during flight.
However, WP noted that Chairman Kim is less phobic about assassination compared to his father or grandfather. Instead, he reportedly does not trust North Korea’s old passenger planes. Most of North Korea’s dedicated aircraft were produced during the former Soviet era and are known to be poorly maintained.
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