North Korea's Kim Jong Un receives car as gift from Putin

Kim Jong Un receives luxury car gift from Putin, potentially violating U.N. sanctions against North Korea.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has received a car from Russia's President Vladimir Putin as a gift "for his personal use", official media reported on February 20, in what could be a violation of U.N. ban that Moscow had agreed to adopt against Pyongyang.

The two countries have forged closer ties since Mr. Kim and Mr. 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 Russian-made car was delivered to Mr. Kim's top aides by the Russian side on Feb. 18, official KCNA news agency said.

Mr. Kim's sister "courteously conveyed Mr. Kim Jong Un's thanks to Mr. 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 cooperation between Russia and North Korea while urging both countries to comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions.

"Security Council sanctions on North Korea prohibit directly or indirectly supplying, selling or moving all vehicles internationally categorized 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's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia's RIA state news agency that the Korean leader received an Aurus car.