Features of the "Luxury Car" Gifted by Putin to Kim

Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to showcase his country's manufacturing capabilities to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. They toured Pyongyang last week in a Russian-made limousine, although many of its parts are imported from South Korea, which is considered an adversary to its northern neighbor. The two leaders took turns driving the armored limousine during Putin's visit, his first to North Korea in nearly a quarter of a century. Reports indicate that the vehicle is a Russian-made Aurus model and that Moscow imported equipment and components worth at least $34 million between 2018 and 2023 to assemble vehicles and motorcycles of this model, according to customs records. The imports included car body parts, sensors, programmable control units, keys, welding equipment, and other components, with approximately $15.5 million worth sourced from South Korea. Parts were also imported from China, India, Turkey, Italy, and other EU countries.