The last to get to the China parade was Kim Jong Un. Because in North Korea the leaders do not fly, but they travel armored

Where is Kim Yong Un? The question shortly before the beginning of the Military Parade in Beijing For the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II, it began to circulate among the attendees. The answer would come shortly after. Just because The missiles that North Korea He had shown hours before they fly at a vertiginous speed, the nation leaders do it slow and on land, but completely safe.

A trip loaded with symbolism. The displacement of Kim Jong-un a Beijing represented much more than a simple transfer: it was his reappearance in the multilateral scene accompanied by an emblem of dynastic power, the known armored train as “the sun” (Taeyangcho).

This convoy, painted green off and armored in each of its wagons, has been the means of favorite transport of the Kim family from the Foundation of North Korea, linked to both the personal security of the leader and the propaganda staging of the dynasty. Its use reinforced the continuity narrativetradition and strength in an event where state leaders of more than 20 countries coincided, including strategic allies such as Russia and Iran.

The rail legacy. The train predilection comes from afar. Kim Il-Sung used it as Modernity symbol and closeness to the people, and Kim Jong-il made him Your exclusive vehicle for fear of flying, reaching a journey of thousands of kilometers Until Moscow in 2001. His trips were long expeditions in which the train became a residence, command room and meeting space with foreign leaders.

After his death in 2011, occurred precisely on this train, one of his wagons was converted in exposed relic In his mausoleum in Pyongyang, consolidating the image of the railroad as an essential part of the cult of personality. Kim Jong-UN has continued tradition, although it combines the train with rented aircraft when travel demands to cross oceans, as happened at its summit With Donald Trump in Singapore In 2018.

A armored office. Beyond tradition, the train is today an authentic Mobile Command Center. Their wagons have offices, meeting rooms, sofas, satellite communication systems, televisions and computers, in addition to a permanent bodyguard and medical staff. Security measures include Comprehensive armor and weapons Heavy on board, in addition to space to transport the leader’s own car.

This infrastructure makes it an Rself -sufficient and safe efugiobut also in an extremely slow medium: its maximum round speed 60 km/hwhich, together with the precarious state of the North Korean roads, prolongs any journey for days. Thus, in 2019 he needed almost three days to reach Hanói from Pyongyang in his meeting with Trump.

Luxury and ostentation. The train not only guarantees protection and functionality, it is also the scene of the excesses associated with the dynasty. For example, during the trips of Kim Jong-il, I They served live lobsters and delicacies of various international kitchens, while French wines arrived in air cargoes along the journey.

They even organized shows on board with singers and actors to liven up displacements. Although similar anecdotes have not been documented in the era of Kim Jong-UN, South Korean intelligence services believe that the leader has inherited his father’s inclination by the Refined gastronomy and the ostentation.

The train as a metaphor. So, “The Sun” It is much more than a vehicle: it symbolizes the rigidity of power that moves slowly, but with Absolute armorwrapped in luxury for the leader and sacrifice for the people. In each international trip, the image of the green convoy touring borders becomes a metaphor for the survival of an isolated regime, which combines tradition, ostentation and fear in equal doses.

Kim Jong’s arrival a Beijing in this kind of strength about Raíles not only evoked his father and grandfather’s legacy, but sent the world a continuity message: The dynasty remains firm, armored against external threats and determined to maintain its rituals even in the era of hypersonic missiles and autonomous drones.

Image | Heute

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