| Juche | |
| Powertype: | Electric |
| Builder: | Kim Chong-t'ae Works |
| Builddate: | 3 March 1978 |
| Collectionmethod: | Pantographs |
| Electricsystem: | 3,000 V DC + 25 kV 60 Hz AC |
| Coupling: | AAR knuckle |
| Maxspeed: | 1200NaN0 continuous: 640NaN0 |
| Poweroutput: | 1720kW |
| Operator: | Korean State Railway |
| Operatorclass: | 주체 |
| Numinclass: | ≥2 set |
| Notes: | [1] |
The Juche-class (ko|《주체》호) are a pair of 4-car electric multiple units built by the Kim Chong-t'ae Electric Locomotive Works in 1978 and 1982, intended for service on the Korean State Railway.[2]
Electric railcars had been used in Korea before the war by the Kŭmgangsan Electric Railway,[3] and these were used by Korean State Railway until the line was destroyed during the Korean War,[4] and no further electric railcars were used after that for many years. However, the opening of the P'yŏngyang Metro in 1973, along with worldwide attention on high-speed electric trainsets such as the Japanese Shinkansen put into service in 1964[5] and the ER200 class introduced by the Soviet Railways in 1974,[6] led the Railway Ministry to direct efforts towards the development of an electric multiple unit for North Korea, resulting in the unveiling of North Korea's first electric trainset, the Juche-class EMU, in 3 March 1978 at Kim Jong Thae as part of the 200 day campaign.[7] Externally, the four-car set was similar in appearance to the 181 series trainsets used by the Japanese National Railways on the Kodama limited express of the day; internally, despite all of North Korea's electrification being 3000 V DC, the Juche-class EMU was built for two-system operation - possibly with a view to future operation in South Korea, where 25 kV AC electrification was used.[8]
The trainset was named 'Juche' by Kim Il Sung, in appreciation of the labour the workers of Kim Chong-t'ae locomotive works put into manufacturing it.[9]
A second 4-car set was built in 1982, as part of the celebrations for Kim Il Sung's 70th birthday.[10]
One of the set was refurbished, repainted, and put into use on a daily commuter service for scientists between P'yŏngyang and Paesanjŏm on June 23rd, 1998,[11] timetabled to take one hour to cover the 38km (24miles) distance each way.[2]
The train was featured on a stamp issued on 30 April 1987.[12]