SEOUL – Mr Vladimir Putin gave Mr Kim Jong Un a luxury Russian Aurus limousine as a gift because the North Korean leader liked the car when the Russian president showed it to him last year, the Kremlin said on Feb 20.

When Mr Kim visited eastern Russia in September, Mr Putin showed him one of the black armoured limousines that he uses. Mr Kim sat beside Mr Putin in the car at the Vostochny Cosmodrome and appeared to enjoy it.

“When the head of the DPRK (North Korea) was at the Vostochny cosmodrome, he looked at this car, Putin showed it to him personally, and like many people, Kim liked this car,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about the gift.

“So this decision was made,” Mr Peskov said. “North Korea is our neighbour, our close neighbour, and we intend, and will continue, to develop our relations with all neighbours, including North Korea.”

The two countries have forged closer ties since Mr Kim and Mr 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 Mr Kim’s top aides by the Russian side on Feb 18, the official KCNA news agency said.

Mr Kim’s sister conveyed his thanks to Mr Putin, 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 cooperation 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.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed any notion that Moscow had violated sanctions.

“I think champions of international legal purity should be asked what damage is caused by illegal sanctions when, because of the West’s sanctions war, people the world over cannot secure food, medicines and vaccines,” she wrote on Telegram.

According to the carmaker’s website, the vehicle is Russia’s first full-size luxury sedan.

It is also Mr Putin’s presidential car.

In September 2023, while visiting Russia’s space launch station in the far east, Mr Kim inspected Mr Putin’s presidential Aurus Senat limousine and was invited by the Russian leader to climb into the back seat.

Mr Kim himself drove to the site in a Maybach limousine brought onboard a special train he travelled in from Pyongyang.

Mr Kim is believed to be an avid automobile enthusiast and has a large collection of luxury foreign vehicles believed to be 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.

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. REUTERS