| Taeyangho | |
|---|---|
A train of Kim Jong Un hauled by two RussianTEP70 locomotives inVladivostok, Russia | |
| Type | Armoured train |
| Place of origin | North Korea |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1950(?)–Present |
| Used by |  Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Korean State Railway |
| Manufacturer | Korean State Railway |
| No. built | 6 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 310 m (1,017.06 ft) (10 car) 443 m (1,453.41 ft) (15 car) 576 m (1,889.76 ft) (20 car) |
| Diameter | 762mm gauge 1,435 mm gauge 1,520 mm gauge[citation needed] |
| Crew | 100+[1] |
| Passengers | 100+[1] |
| Armor | Classified bulletproof windows Classified explosion-proof flooring |
Secondary armament | 2x machine guns |
| Engine | 2x reinforced armouredChina Railways DF8 locomotive[2] |
| Maximum speed | 60 km/h (37 mph) |
Since the establishment ofNorth Korea, all three of itsleaders—Kim Il Sung,Kim Jong Il andKim Jong Un—have been known to use high-security private trains as their preferred method of domestic and international travel.[3] The train itself is officially calledTaeyangho ("sun" inKorean: 태양호), unofficially called the"Moving Fortress" and is likened to anAir Force One on rails.[4][5]
Trains have historically been used by many global leaders androyalty, but particularly military leaders, due to their high speed, security and ability to accommodate extensive office and personal facilities within one mobile location.
Kim Il Sung used a train during theKorean War as his headquarters, and continued the preference after the cessation of hostilities. He started the building of numerous secure palaces, many of which are either directly accessed by or close to railway stations, 19 of which it is estimated are accessed only by the private trains.[citation needed]
Kim Jong Il's preference for the railroad transport was due to hisfear of flying.[6][7] Kim used the trains when he visited army units and factories or travelled abroad. The private trains still serve a network of 19 stations across North Korea (including some underground palaces only accessible by rail).[citation needed]
In December 2011, it was reported byNorth Korean television thatKim Jong Il died while on a train during a domestic trip.[8]
Over the years multiple trains – all called Taeyangho – were needed for security reasons. The trains have between 10 and 15 carriages, although the current train configuration is 20 armoured carriages excluding locomotives.[9][10] It is unknown what model or type the locomotives and passenger cars are, although it is strongly hinted to be China'sDF8s and25G rolling stocks respectively.[2] If true, the most recent train length (i.e. 2x locomotives with 20x cars) would be around 576 m (1,889.76 ft).[11] The train has bulletproof glass and reinforced walls and floors to protect against explosives. Likewise, the train is heavily armed, with heavy weapons reportedly on board that range from at least two confirmedmachine gun emplacements,surface-to-air missiles andanti-tank guided missiles.[12]
Some carriages are only used by the leader, like a bedroom and bathroom carriage, and others aretroop sleeper carriages carrying security guards and medical staff. In 2001 the train included one residential carriage (named the "headquarters" carriage), a luxury restaurant carriage, and several transport carriages that contained two armouredMercedes cars as well as an emergency helicopter that is likely to be an illegally obtained AmericanMD 500C.[5][9] In 2023, additional carriages were identified. This includes an office carriage for Kim Jong Un's work place, several gun and anti-aircraft carriage that house the aforementioned weapons, and a receptionist carriage for guests.
The train also had satellite communication system with satellite dish connecting all the carriages.[9]
Parts of the interior of the trains are only known from the images and videos when a state leader was traveling. The interior of the receptionist carriage has completely changed since 1989 when it was very brownish.[13] While meeting Chinese officials in 2018, the receptionist carriage had a wide white interior which was ringed with pink couches.[14] In 2023 the receptionist carriage looked similar but with a blue colored floor instead of a wooden floor.[15]
There are conference rooms, with long tables and TV screens.[12] The carriage of the office of Kim had a desk and chair; a map of China and the Korean peninsula on the wall behind it.[9] Footage from 2020 showed a carriage decorated with flower-shaped lighting and zebra-printed fabric chairs.[9]
The trains are usually hauled by twopower units. It was reported[citation needed] in 2009 that Kim Jong Il made use of a fleet of six personal trains, which are made up of 90 armored luxury railcars. Each armoured train has modern communications equipment, such as satellite phones, enabling the leader to obtain briefings and issue orders while traveling.
Security measures were increased after a2004 explosion inRyongchon near the border withChina. The explosion, which was believed to have been caused by a train laden with oil and chemicals hitting power lines, occurred three hours after one of Kim's trains had passed through the area. This led to rumors that it might have been an assassination attempt.
After a train journey is confirmed, around 100 security officers check the route and stations in advance for possible dangers.[12] AMil Mi-4helicopter is known to scout ahead to identify further threats forward. The area around the journey is cleared 24 hours before the three-train set travels.[citation needed] The electricity is turned off at stations so that other trains cannot run.[12]
Now limited to 60 km/h (37 mph) due to the heavy weight, the Taeyangho travel with two additional auxiliary security armoured trains:[16]
Trains also have been used for travel abroad, with direct connection to China, and onward connection toRussia with agauge-change.[17] Kim Il Sung travelled regularly abroad by train until he died in 1994.[12] Kim Il Sung's longest train journey took place in 1984 when he visited almostevery socialist country in Eastern Europe.[18] The train ride went via China, through the Soviet Union, with stops inPoland,East Germany,Czechoslovakia,Hungary,Yugoslavia,Bulgaria andRomania. The rest of the trip went through the Soviet Union, again.
When traveling to Russia the train wheels must be changed somewhere around the border because Russia has different rail gauges.[9] A second train accompanied Kim's carryingbogies of the othergauge needed.[citation needed]
On Kim Jong Il's visit to Russia in 2001, the train was reported to have had 22 carriages.[6] According to Russian statesmanKonstantin Pulikovsky, life on board was reported to be luxurious. Guests could choose at the luxury restaurant from Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Russian and French dishes. There were regular stops to stock up on livelobster andBordeaux andBeaujolais wine flown in fromParis.[19][20] Guests were entertained by singing female conductors.[12] In April 2010, North Korea watchers inferred an unannounced visit to China by Kim, based on the supposed sighting of his train in the Chinese border city ofDandong;[21] soon, however, it was learned that the train in question was just a regular cargo train, and Kim remained in North Korea.[22] In August 2011, Kim Jong Il visitedUlan-Ude, Russia, roughly 4,500 kilometres (2,800 mi) by train from Pyongyang. In Ulan-Ude, he met Russian PresidentDmitry Medvedev.[citation needed]
In March 2018, the Kim family's train was reportedly sighted inBeijing, which, along with heightened security around the Chinese government'sDiaoyutai State Guesthouse led to speculation that Kim Jong Un and his wifeRi Sol-ju were visiting China. This was confirmed whenthey met withGeneral Secretary of the Communist PartyXi Jinping and his wifePeng Liyuan.[23] This marked the first time that North Korea's leader had left the country since taking power in 2011.
In February 2019, Kim travelled by train to theHanoi Summit, where he met withUS PresidentDonald Trump for talks about denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and lifting sanctions against North Korea.[24] In April 2019, Kim took the train tomeet withRussian PresidentVladimir Putin inVladivostok.[25]
In 2020, Kim travelled by train to visit a typhoon-hit area.[9]
In September 2023, Kim's private train stopped atKhasan railway station to greet Russian officials[26] on his way toanother summit with Putin in the Russian Far East.[27]
When providing "on-the-spot guidance" to the workers constructingPyongyang Metro, Kim Il Sung used a specialfunicular-like vehicle to descend to a station under construction (it was riding in the inclined tunnel that was to be eventually used by the escalators), and arailbus to travel around the system. Both vehicles are now on display in thePyongyang Metro Museum.[28]
The private train of Kim Jong Un entered the yard of the Khasan Railway Station at 6:00 local time. He was greeted by Alexandr Kozlov, minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of Russia, Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of the Maritime Territory Administration, and other senior officials in Moscow and local areas who came to Khasan to guide him.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia by private train to the strains of a military band on Tuesday for talks with President Vladimir Putin […] A Russian source with knowledge of the trip told Reuters Kim arrived in Russia on Tuesday morning, leaving his train to meet local officials in Khasan, the main rail gateway to Russia's Far East, before continuing on.
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