Putin gives Kim luxury cars with parts from South Korea
Putin, the Russian leader, presented Kim Jong Un, the North Korean dictator, with an Aurus limousine during his state visit to North Korea. This is the second Nobel car of this Russian brand that Putin has given as a gift to Kim. Afterward, both leaders took turns riding through the grounds of the state guest house Kumsusan in Pyongyang. However, Kim may not be aware that Aurus imports South Korean components worth millions of dollars for its production, according to Reuters, citing customs data. Kim considers South Korea to be the "main enemy" of his country.
According to customs data, between 2018 and 2023, the Russian company imported South Korean parts worth at least 34 million dollars for the assembly of cars and motorcycles. Newer data could not be viewed in the report. A representative of the South Korean industrial export support organization Kyungki Industrial Co. confirmed that the company had supplied parts to Aurus and would continue to do so. The representative added, "we are not concerned about possible sanctions."
North Korea's dictator is an automobile enthusiast. According to state media reports, Kim received an Aurus car from Putin as a sign of their good relations back in February. Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian presidential administration, confirmed the delivery of the luxury limousine to RIA Novosti. Moscow had handed over the Russian-made vehicle for "personal use" by Kim.
The car was reportedly received by a secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party and Kim Yo Jong, Kim's sister. Kim Yo Jong conveyed Kim's thanks to Putin and described the gift as a "clear demonstration of the special personal relations between the two leaders." However, the importation of luxury goods into the authoritarian country is banned by the UN. The prices for Aurus cars are reportedly 46.625 million rubles (528,356 US dollars).
During Putin's visit to North Korea on June 19 and 20, Pyongyang and Moscow forged a new alliance in the conflict with the US and its allies. Both countries have agreed to mutual support in the event of a military attack by a third party, Putin announced in Pyongyang.
Despite Kim Jong Un's assertion that South Korea is his country's "main enemy," Aurus, a Russian car brand, has been importing South Korean components worth millions for its vehicles, as revealed by customs data. Vladimir Putin, during his state visit to North Korea, presented another Aurus limousine to Kim Jong Un, further strengthening their political ties, as Pyongyang and Moscow formed a new alliance against the US and its allies.
