- Kim rides Putin’s gifted limo
- Demonstrates DPRK-Russia friendship
- Violates UN sanctions
Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, rode in the luxurious vehicle that Russian President Vladimir Putin presented to him as a gift.
Relations between Pyongyang and Moscow have strengthened ever since Kim and Putin met in Russia for the first time in four years in September of last year.
In February, the high-end Aurus Senat limousine that Putin extended to Kim for a test drive arrived in Pyongyang at his invitation.
Kim first utilised the vehicle on Friday, as reported by Kim Yo Jong, a prominent government official and sister of Kim Kim.
Kim Yo Jong quoted state-run KCNA as saying the voyage was “clear evidence of the DPRK-Russia friendship, which is developing comprehensively on a new high stage.” KCNA used the acronym for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Aurus, the inaugural luxury vehicle brand in Russia, has been utilised by motorcades of top officials ever since Vladimir Putin’s inauguration in 2018 in an Aurus limousine, according to Russian state media.
Kim Jong Un, age 40, allegedly transported a collection of luxury automobiles manufactured abroad into the country. He utilised a Maybach limousine, which he transported to each meeting location during his sojourn in Russia, secured on his specialised train. Kim has reportedly utilised a Maybach S62 and a Mercedes-Maybach S600 Pullman Guard as limousines.
A report published by the United Nations in 2021 detailed an alleged attempt to transport luxurious vehicles with a value exceeding $1 million from the United Arab Emirates to Ningbo, China, to deliver them to North Korea.
As Moscow continues its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and North Korea advances its weapons and nuclear programmes, the two countries have grown closer over the past year. In exchange for technological expertise, the United States and South Korea have expressed concern that North Korea is supplying Russia with munitions for use in its war in Ukraine.
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North Korea’s eldest ally, China and Russia, have thwarted numerous UN sanctions efforts against the country in retaliation for its prohibited ballistic missile tests.
The Ministry of Unification of South Korea stated that it had determined that the Aurus donation also violated United Nations sanctions.
“We condemn North Korea for its brazen public disclosure of sanctions violations,” a ministry official responded under the condition of anonymity to media.
The official stated, “Russia should recognise its responsibility as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and cease an action that undermines international norms.”
On Friday, Kim reportedly oversaw paratroop exercises designed to demonstrate his troops’ capability to “instantaneously occupy an enemy region,” according to state media.
