This gift could backfire: Putin sent Kim Jong Un a car. But by doing so he could be violating a UN resolution.
According to state media reports, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un received a car from Russian President Vladimir Putin as a sign of their good relations. Moscow handed over the Russian-made vehicle for Kim's “personal use.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later confirmed that the gift was an Aurus, a large luxury sedan like the one Putin drives.
The car was received on Sunday by a secretary of the Workers' Party Central Committee and Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, North Korean media reported on Tuesday. Kim Yo Jong conveyed Kim's thanks to Putin and described the gift as a “clear demonstration of the special personal relationships between the two leaders.”
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Gift could fall under luxury goods category
In South Korea it was suspected that the gift could fall under the category of luxury goods and therefore constitute a violation of UN resolutions. Among other things, these prohibit the export of such goods to North Korea. The country, which is ruled authoritarianly by Kim Jong Un, is subject to international sanctions because of its nuclear weapons program.
During Kim's visit to Russia last September, Putin showed Kim a Russian luxury limousine from the Aurus brand, which also serves as the president's state car. Since the visit, both countries have significantly increased their cooperation. The reason for this is the separate confrontations with the United States and its allies, as the US magazine “Time” reports.
North Korea supports Russia with weapons and ammunition
A UN expert report recently said that North Korea imported significantly more goods in 2023 and expanded its trade with its new partner Russia. The US government and South Korea accuse North Korea of supplying the Russian aggressor with weapons and ammunition for the war of aggression in Ukraine – in return, North Korea receives Russian high-tech weapons technologies and other support.
According to Time, Kim Jong Un owns many luxury cars. It is assumed that they were smuggled into the country in violation of UN resolutions – which shows the permeability of these sanctions. Although Russia, as a member of the Security Council, could veto the UN resolution, it did not do so. Instead, Moscow agreed to ban the export of luxury goods to North Korea.
