Kim Jong Un Arrives in Russia Using 'Taeyangho' Armored Train

Kim Jong Un Arrives in Russia Using 'Taeyangho' Armored Train

Russia reported that North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un arrived in the country on Tuesday (12/9) and was scheduled to meet with President Vladimir Putin. (AP/朝鮮通信社)

Russia reported North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un arrived in the country on Tuesday (12/9) and was scheduled to meet with President Vladimir Putin. 

A report by the Russian news agency, RIA, showed Kim Jong Un arriving with his dark green and gray train entourage. 

Quoted by Reuters, the Kremlin has not revealed the schedule and place for the Kim Jong Un-Putin meeting. However, Moscow said Kim Jong Un would be in Russia for the next few days. 

Kim Jong Un rarely travels abroad. This is his first overseas visit in four years and the first since the Covid-19 pandemic. 

His last overseas visit was in 2019 to Vladivostok. At that time, Kim Jong Un boarded the train which was named Taeyangho, which in Korean means sun. The name refers symbolically to his grandfather, the founder of North Korea, Kim Il Sung. 

Kim Jong Un spent more than 20 hours traveling a distance of approximately 1,180 kilometers from Pyongyang to Russia. 

The series of luxury trains is said to consist of carriages which are said to include restaurants serving quality French wines to lobsters. 

"It was possible to order any dish from Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese to French cuisine," wrote a Russian official, Konstantin Pulikovsky, who once rode the train with Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's father, in a book entitled Orient Express . 

Quoted by The Washington Post, a number of photos released by North Korea show a very elegant train interior design with an all-white feel. There is also a flat monitor screen, red velvet sofas. 

In a 2009 article from the South Korean newspaper, Chosun Ilbo, this luxury train has a total of 90 carriages with armored and bulletproof safety standards. Some carriages were even designed to transport Kim Jong Un's luxury vehicles such as two armored Mercedes cars. 

Due to its large load, Kim Jong Un's train is also reportedly traveling at a top speed of 88 kilometers per hour. 

The tradition of traveling long distances by train was started by Kim Jong Un's grandfather, Kim Il Sung. He took his own train on trips to Vietnam and Eastern Europe. 

This luxury train is very closely guarded by North Korean security agents. Apart from guarding the train, they also scanned the routes and stations that Kim Jong Un would visit. They will carry out checks to ensure there are no bombs or other threats. 

Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il, also reportedly traveled by train because he was afraid of flying. Kim Jong Il famously took 10 days to get to Moscow in 2001 for a meeting with Putin. 

Kim Jong Un Tiba di Rusia Pakai Kereta Lapis Baja 'Taeyangho'

Rusia melaporkan Pemimpin Tertinggi Korea Utara Kim Jong Un tiba di negara itu pada Selasa (12/9) dan dijadwalkan bertemu dengan Presiden Vladimir Putin. (AP/朝鮮通信社)

Rusia melaporkan Pemimpin Tertinggi Korea Utara Kim Jong Un tiba di negara itu pada Selasa (12/9) dan dijadwalkan bertemu dengan Presiden Vladimir Putin.

Laporan kantor berita Rusia, RIA, memperlihatkan Kim Jong Un tiba dengan rombongan kereta apinya yang berwarna hijau tua dan abu-abu.

Dikutip Reuters, Kremlin belum membeberkan jadwal dan tempat pertemuan Kim Jong Un-Putin. Namun, Moskow mengatakan Kim Jong Un akan berada di Rusia selama beberapa hari ke depan.

Kim Jong Un jarang sekali berpelesir ke luar negeri. Ini merupakan kunjungan luar negeri pertamanya sejak empat tahun terakhir dan pertama sejak pandemi Covid-19.

Lawatan luar negerinya terakhir kali yakni pada 2019 ke Vladivostok. Saat itu pun, Kim Jong Un menaiki kereta api yang diberi nama Taeyangho ini, yang dalam Bahasa Korea berarti matahari. Nama itu merujuk secara simbolis kepada sang kakek yakni pendiri Korea Utara, Kim Il Sung.

Kim Jong Un menghabiskan lebih dari 20 jam perjalanan dengan jarak sekitar 1.180 kilometer dari Pyongyang ke Rusia.

Rangkaian kereta mewah itu disebut terdiri dari gerbong-gerbong yang konon mencakup restoran dengan sajian anggur Prancis berkualitas hingga lobster.

"Mungkin untuk memesan hidangan apa pun dari masakan Rusia, China, Korea, Jepang, hingga Prancis," tulis seorang pejabat Rusia, Konstantin Pulikovsky, yang pernah menaiki kereta itu bersama Kim Jong Il, ayah Kim Jong Un, dalam sebuah buku berjudul Orient Express.

Dikutip The Washington Post, sejumlah foto-foto yang dirilis Korut memperlihatkan desain interior kereta yang sangat elegan bernuansa serba putih. Terdapat pula layar monitor datar, sofa-sofa berwarna merah beludru.

Dalam artikel 2009 dari koran Korea Selatan, Chosun Ilbo, kereta api mewah ini memiliki total 90 gerbong dengan standar keamanan lapis baja dan antipeluru. Beberapa gerbong bahkan di-desain untuk mengangkut kendaraan mewah Kim Jong Un seperti dua mobil Mercedes lapis baja.

Karena muatan yang banyak, kereta Kim Jong Un ini juga dikabarkan melaju dengan kecepatan tertinggi 88 kilometer per jam.

Tradisi perjalanan jarak jauh dengan kereta api itu dimulai oleh kakek Kim Jong Un, Kim Il Sung. Dia naik kereta sendiri dalam perjalanan ke Vietnam dan Eropa Timur.

Kereta mewah ini dijaga sangat ketat oleh agen keamanan Korut. Selain menjaga kereta, mereka juga memindai rute dan stasiun yang akan didatangi Kim Jong Un. Mereka akan melakukan pengecekan untuk memastikan tak ada bom dan ancaman lainnya.

Ayah Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Il, juga dikabarkan bepergian dengan kereta api karena takut terbang. Kim Jong Il terkenal membutuhkan waktu 10 hari untuk sampai ke Moskow pada tahun 2001 untuk mengadakan pertemuan dengan Putin.