Kim Jong-un arrived at his recent meeting with Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, in a new Rolls-Royce Phantom, suggesting that international…
Kim Jong-un arrived at his recent meeting with Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, in a new Rolls-Royce Phantom, suggesting that international sanctions are no longer halting the regime’s acquisition of luxury goods.
Video images of Mr Kim arriving for the talks in Pyongyang with Mr Pompeo on Sunday show a jet black Rolls Royce with darkened windows and the distinctive entwined capital Rs on its wheel hubs.
Mr Kim appears to have traded in the Mercedes-Benz that he has previously used for important occasions, with automotive website the Drive identifying the vehicle as a Phantom. A basic version of the Phantom starts at £318,120, although the website suggested the car would have undergone extensive upgrades to meet the needs of the North Korean dictator, including bulletproofing to enable it to withstand machine gun rounds.
The images have triggered speculation as to how Mr Kim was able to procure a Rolls-Royce, given the ban imposed by the United Nations on imports of high-end goods. Specified on an updated list of banned items, released in December 2016, are, “ Luxury automobiles (and motor vehicles); automobiles and other motor vehicles to transport people”.
