North Korean leader Kim Jong-un continues his visit to Russia, traveling between its different cities, riding his luxurious armored train.
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un arrives at the Dong Dang railway station in Dong Dang, Lang Son province, on February 26, 2019, to attend the second US-North Korea summit. - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un crossed into Vietnam on February 26 after a marathon train journey for a second summit showdown with Donald Trump, with the world looking for concrete progress over the North's nuclear programme. (Photo by - / AFP)
Although Kim Jong-un has been spotted traveling several times by plane, he makes sure that most of his transportation is by train, despite the long time it takes, sometimes exceeding 60 hours.
His grandfather was the first to start the tradition of traveling by train
The North Korean leader inherited the habit of riding trains from his predecessors as his father and grandfather before him were keen to travel by train, as the tradition of long-distance train travel was initiated by Kim Il Sung, the former North Korean leader and grandfather of the current leader, who took his own train on trips to Vietnam and Eastern Europe.
The train is safer for its health information
Kim inherited from his father and grandfather the fear of boarding the plane on the one hand and because on the other hand he is careful about his personal well-being and that information about his health does not leak while traveling, Radio Monte Carlo reported.
The use of the train has a security aspect, as its train includes a special carriage with a toilet for his personal use for fear of obtaining information about his health condition.
The armored train traveled to several countries
North Korean leaders traveled by armored train to Vietnam, China, Bulgaria and Russia, while the late leader Kim Jong Il died of a heart attack while traveling by train in 2011 with the train car he died in on display at the Sun Palace next to his body.
