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According to Konstantin’s book, Kim Jong Un’s train features female conductors, known as the ‘pleasure brigade.’ Beautiful girls from all over North Korea are selected for this role
Women, chosen to work on the train, receive a hefty salary. (News18 Hindi)
North Korea’s ruler, Kim Jong-un, is renowned for his eccentric habits and obsessions. Just like his father, Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-Un harbours a fear of air travel and uses this train for all his journeys. His grandfather, Kim Il-Sung, who ruled North Korea before Kim Jong-Il, also favoured train travel. Kim Jong-Un’s train, heavily guarded and equipped with stringent security measures, is dubbed a moving fortress.
Kim Jong Un is known to indulge in a lavish lifestyle. His reported extravagances include imported alcohol, speciality cigarettes, and a penchant for foreign meats. A symbol of his opulence is his private train, equipped with an array of luxurious amenities.
A team of young women, specially chosen through a rigorous selection process, serve as hostesses on board. It is widely rumoured that the train lacks nothing in the way of luxury, catering to every need from gourmet dining to lavish entertainment.
The luxury train used by North Korea’s ruling Kim family was a gift from Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union. Since its presentation, the train has served as the official rail conveyance for North Korean leaders. Externally, the train is distinguished by its green and yellow livery. In contrast, the interior is finished in bright white and furnished with tables and flat-screen monitors, facilitating briefings and meetings during journeys.
In his book ‘Orient Express’, former Russian official Konstantin Pulikovsky provides insights into North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s private train. Pulikovsky reveals that the train is equipped to serve a lavish menu of delicacies, including French wine, prawns, and pork, during Kim’s journeys. This attention to culinary detail echoes a previous account from 2002. A Russian officer who accompanied Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un’s father, on a trip to Moscow attested to the exceptional quality of food served on the train.
According to Konstantin’s book, young women, whom Kim Jong Un introduces as female conductors, entertain passengers on the train. These women are also known as the ‘pleasure brigade’. For this role, beautiful girls are selected from all over North Korea. A condition for joining the ‘pleasure brigade’ is that these young women must be virgins.
A team of doctors also examines the applicants. These women, chosen to work on the train, receive a hefty salary. In 2015, a campaign was launched in North Korea to search for tall, slim, and beautiful women. Their role is to attend to Kim Jong Un on the train. They receive more than $3,000 as a salary. However, Western media labels these women as Kim Jong Un’s sex slaves.
According to a 2009 article in the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, intelligence reports indicate that Kim Jong Un’s private train comprises 90 carriages. The train is also equipped to transport his Mercedes cars, a practice echoing his father, Kim Jong Il, who similarly conveyed his vehicles on the train.
Furthermore, other trains are halted to allow this train to complete its journey without stopping. The train’s operation also involves the deployment of Air Force cargo aircraft and MI-17 helicopters. Three high-security trains run alongside, ahead of, or behind the main train, ensuring its protection.
Kim Jong Un’s private train is known for its slow speed, reportedly unable to exceed 40-50 km per hour, despite having a maximum speed of 60 km per hour. The train’s sluggishness is attributed to its significant weight, a consequence of the extensive armour plating incorporated for security purposes. The bogies housing Kim Jong Un’s living quarters and office space are particularly fortified with additional armoured sheets. Furthermore, when the train is in transit, approximately 100 security personnel are deployed ahead to secure each station along the route, ensuring the leader’s safety.