Baby you can drive my car: Putin sends Kim a Russia-made Aurus

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 Tuesday, in what could be a violation of a UN ban that Moscow had agreed to adopt against Pyongyang.

The two countries have forged closer ties since Kim and Putin met in September and pledged to promote exchanges in all areas as their international isolation deepened over Russia’s war in Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear weapons development.

The Russia-made car was delivered to Kim’s top aides by the Russian side on February 18, official KCNA news agency said.

Kim’s sister “courteously conveyed Kim Jong-un’s thanks to Putin to the Russian side, saying that the gift serves as a clear demonstration of the special personal relations between the top leaders”, KCNA said.

South Korea’s foreign ministry said it was closely monitoring the co-operation between Russia and North Korea while urging both countries to comply with UN Security Council resolutions.

“Security Council sanctions on North Korea prohibit directly or indirectly supplying, selling or moving all transportation vehicles internationally categorised as HS Code 86 through to 89 regardless of their origin to North Korea including luxury cars,” ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk told a media briefing.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s RIA state news agency that the Korean leader received an Aurus car.

According to the carmaker's website, the car is Russia’s first full-size luxury sedan. It is also Putin’s presidential car. In September, while visiting Russia’s space launch station in the Far East, Kim inspected the 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.

Kim is believed to be an avid vehicle enthusiast and has a large collection of luxury foreign vehicles, which are most likely smuggled in.

The Maybach 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.

North Korea 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 Korea-made weapons. North Korea denies the accusation of arms shipment to Russia, which would also be violations of UN sanctions.

On Tuesday, KCNA separately reported that a delegation of North Korea ruling party officials returned from Russia and three delegations, representing information technology, fisheries and sports, departed for Russia. 

Reuters