Fact Check Team: Kim Jong Un and his 'moving fortress' travel to Beijing

WASHINGTON (TNND) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently traveled to China aboard his distinctive armored train, known as the “moving fortress,” to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The train, officially named Taeyang-ho, or “sun train” in Korean, is designed for protection rather than speed, according to Yonhap News. It is bulletproof and equipped with heavy weaponry for security, reportedly featuring living quarters, offices, and space to transport armored vehicles.

The journey from North Korea to Beijing took approximately 20 hours, as the train travels at a modest speed of about 60 kilometers per hour, or 37 miles per hour. In comparison, London’s high-speed rail reaches speeds of 200 kilometers per hour, while Japan’s bullet trains can travel as fast as 320 kilometers per hour, according to the BBC.

Why travel by train?

Kim Jong Un’s preference for train travel is rooted in tradition, security, and a lack of better options. All three North Korean leaders, Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong Un, have used an armored state train for long-distance travel, particularly to China and Russia. Kim Jong Il famously avoided flying, relying almost exclusively on the train, according to the AP.

North Korea’s aviation industry is also largely considered to be unsafe. According to Avgeekery, North Korea’s Air Koryo is the country’s only airline, and it has a very small fleet of just six planes, most of which are decades old and imported from Russia. A couple of the jets are used as VIP aircraft for Kim Jong Un, while only a few Tupolev models are allowed to fly internationally. According to reporting from the WSJ, U.K.-based aviation consultancy Skytrax consistently rated Air Koryo as “one star”, the lowest score on a five-point scale.

North Korea isn’t legally able to import aircraft from the west due to strict UN sanctions and U.S. export controls.

Relations between North Korea, China, and Russia: are they allies?

Kim’s visit to Beijing coincides with a military parade commemorating the end of World War II and victory over Japan. The trip underscores the complex dynamics between North Korea, China, and Russia. China and North Korea have a formal mutual-defense treaty dating back to 1961, pledging military support if either is attacked, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Meanwhile, Russia and North Korea signed a partnership treaty in June of 2024, which includes a mutual-defense clause, as reported by the Foreign Policy Research Institute. China and Russia established a “no-limits” partnership in 2022, indicating deep cooperation across security, trade, and geopolitics, though it is not a formal military alliance, according to CFR.