SEOUL, South Korea (AP) In an effort to assert his position among global leaders facing the United States, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to China on a Tuesday, utilizing his distinctive green armored train, a long-standing emblem of his family's dynastic heritage. This train has previously enabled him to escape diplomatic isolation with foreign visits.
Images released by North Korean state media showcased Kim smiling as he engaged with his Foreign Minister, Choe Son Hui, in one of the train's opulent meeting rooms, adorned with yellow-brown desks, leather chairs, and golden-knotted curtains. Another photograph revealed him smoking a cigarette outside a carriage displaying a golden state seal, a scene reminiscent of a similar break he took during a 2019 train trip to Vietnam for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Kim's fortified train, which he last utilized during a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023, reportedly has a maximum speed of about 60 kilometers per hour (37 mph), extending his journey to Beijing over a day. His visit aligns with an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping to join 25 other foreign leaders at a massive military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and China's resistance against Japan. Reports indicate that Kim is likely to join Xi and Putin on the podium at Tiananmen Square, creating a powerful image of Cold War-era solidarity.
This train, a legacy from Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il, served as a signature mode of transport for him. Kim Jong Il undertook around a dozen international trips during his 17-year rule, primarily to China, opting for trains over planes. He tragically died while traveling by train in 2011. According to a 2002 account by Russian official Konstantin Pulikovsky, Kim Jong Il's train was equipped with luxury like French wine, fresh lobsters, and high-tech communication facilities.
Kim Jong Un has occasionally deviated from his father's preference for train travel. During a significant diplomatic engagement from 2018 to 2019, he also used planes for trips to meet with leaders including Putin, Xi, and Trump. His first air trip abroad was to Dalian, China, in May 2018, making him the first North Korean leader to travel by air since his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, in 1986. For his inaugural meeting with Trump in Singapore, he borrowed a Chinese plane, reportedly due to safety concerns regarding his own jet.
Kim Jong Un's official aircraft, a remodeled Soviet-made IL-62 known as "Chammae-1" after North Korea's national bird, can accommodate around 200 passengers with a maximum range of approximately 9,200 kilometers (5,700 miles). He has also utilized the plane for various inspections and military reviews.
In addition to his armored train and aircraft, Kim has a collection of luxury vehicles believed to have been smuggled into North Korea in violation of United Nations sanctions. During his 2023 visit to Russia, he was seen using a Maybach limousine, transported via one of his specialized train carriages. Earlier, during a trip to Russia in 2019, he arrived at Vladivostok with two limousines, including a Mercedes-Maybach S600 Pullman Guard and a Maybach S62. Notably, the S600 Pullman Guard was also used during his meetings with Trump in Singapore and Hanoi, and in 2024, Putin gifted him a Russian-made Aurus Senat limousine.
Additionally, Kim is known for his affinity for white horses, often showcased in state propaganda to bolster public support for the regime. In late 2019, state media featured images of him riding a white horse to a sacred mountain, subsequent to the cancellation of his summit with Trump. More recently, in 2023, he and his daughter were seen reviewing a military parade with ceremonial cavalry units riding white horses, with state media describing one of the horses as "most beloved" by his daughter, who is viewed by South Korean intelligence as his potential heir apparent.
