SEOUL – North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has received a car from Russian President Vladimir Putin as a gift “for his personal use”, official media reported on Feb 20, in what could be a violation of a United Nations ban that Moscow had joined to adopt against Pyongyang.
The two countries have forged closer ties since Kim and Putin met in September 2023 and pledged to promote exchanges in all areas as their international isolation deepened over Russia’s war in Ukraine and the North’s nuclear weapons development.
The Russian-made car was delivered to Kim’s top aides by the Russian side on Feb 18, the official KCNA news agency said.
Kim’s sister conveyed his thanks to Putin, saying that “the gift serves as a clear demonstration of the special personal relations between the top leaders”, KCNA said.
The report did not describe the car or how it was shipped from Russia.
Kim is believed to be an avid automobile enthusiast and has a large collection of luxury foreign vehicles believed to be smuggled in.
In September 2023, while visiting Russia’s space launch station in the far east, Kim inspected Putin’s presidential Aurus Senat limousine and was invited by the Russian leader to climb into the back seat.
Kim himself drove to the site in a Maybach limousine brought onboard a special train he travelled in from Pyongyang.
That vehicle and others he had been seen in, including several Mercedes limousines, a Rolls-Royce Phantom and a Lexus sports utility vehicle, fall under luxury goods that UN Security Council resolutions ban from export to North Korea.
Exchanges between the two countries have grown increasingly active and the North is believed to be supplying artillery, rockets and ballistic missiles to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine.
The Kremlin has not denied nor confirmed its use of North Korean-made weapons. Pyongyang denies the accusation of arms shipment to Russia, which would also be in violation of UN sanctions.
On Feb 20, KCNA separately reported that a delegation of North Korea ruling party officials returned from Russia and that three delegations, representing the information technology, fisheries and sports sectors, departed for Russia.
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