Last week, a group of Russian diplomats and their families made international headlines as they left North Korea via a hand-pushed rail trolley — a journey that some media described as “grueling” or a possible sign of poor DPRK-Russia relations.

Now, one Russian diplomat who took that North Korean trolley is reportedly pushing back against criticism of the DPRK, calling the trip a “big adventure” and an “epic journey for the kids” on board. 

Vladislav Sorokin, the third secretary at the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang, said that the Russian diplomats asked North Korea for the option to ride