President Putin's Limousine Aurus For Kim Jong-un Is Considered To Have Violated UN Security Council Resolutions

Limousine Aurus Presidency of Russia. (Source: Kremlin.ru)

JAKARTA - President Vladimir Putin gave Kim Jong-un a luxurious Russian Aurus limousine as a gift, because he liked the car for the first time seen when he visited Russia last year, a Kremlin spokesman said, giving that Seoul judged violated UN resolutions.

When leader Kim visited eastern Russia in September, President Putin showed one of the black armored limousines he used. Leader Kim sat beside President Putin in the car at the Vostochny Cosmodrome and seemed to enjoy it.

"When the leader of the DPRK (North Korea) was at the Vostochny cosmodrome, he saw this car, President Putin showed it privately, and like many people, Leader Kim liked this car," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about it. a gift, reported by Reuters on February 20.

"So this decision has been made," said Peskov.

"North Korea is our neighbor, our close neighbor, and we intend, and will continue to develop our relationship with all neighboring countries, including North Korea," he explained.

The Russian-made limousine was sent to the main aides to Leader Kim by the Russian side on February 18, North Korea's official news agency KCNA said.

When visiting the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Leader Kim drove to the location on a Maybach limousine carrying a special train he was traveling on from Pyongyang.

Meanwhile, Leader Kim's younger sister politely expressed her sister's gratitude to President Putin and Russia, saying the prize was clear evidence of a special personal relationship between the supreme leaders, KCNA reported.

In Seoul, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was closely monitoring cooperation between Russia and North Korea, while urging the two countries to comply with UN Security Council resolutions.

The resolution in question is the resolution of the 1718 UN Security Council which was issued on October 14, 2006.

"The Security Council's sanctions against North Korea prohibit directly or indirectly supplying, selling or moving all transportation vehicles internationally categorized as Code HS 86 to 89 regardless of their origin to North Korea including luxury cars," ministry spokesman Lim Soo-suk said at a news conference.

According to the automaker's website, Aurus is the first fully luxury sedan in Russia. It is also Putin's presidential car.

Leader Kim is believed to be a huge automotive fan and has many collections of foreign luxury vehicles. Apart from Maybach, a number of luxury cars he has seen riding include limousine Mercedes, Rolls-Royce Phantom and sports car Lexus. These are all included in luxury items that are prohibited from being exported to North Korea based on UN Security Council resolutions.