On December 12, 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was once again in the spotlight, this time because he publicly changed his special car, and he replaced his old car with a **Da Benmai** worth at least 1.5 million.
However, this is not only a hot topic about replacing luxury cars, because the Security Council has banned exports to North Korea, and the international community has been imposing strict sanctions on North Korea. The incident sheds light on the complexities of Kim Jong-un and the North Korean regime, as well as the impact of sanctions on international politics.
Kim Jong-un's new car** was first held on August 11, and when he posed for a photo with the participants of the Fifth National Mother's Congress, he was in a special car.
In the North Korean TV release**, Kim Jong-un appeared in the car, with the German Mercedes premium brand Mai** logo hanging on the back of the car, and the words "S650" written on the trunk.
This model was produced in 2019**, and even in the Korean market, its basic ** is as high as 300 million won, about 1.5 million yuan. But considering that Kim Jong-un's car is a bulletproof and fire-resistant specially manufactured vehicle, its ** may be higher.
It is reported that when Kim Jong-un visited Russia in September 2019, he also took a special car to Mercedes-Benz, but the car was not marked with this ** at that time. According to sources, Kim Jong-un is likely to pick up a new car in the second half of last year.
Prior to this, Kim Jong-un usually used the old Mai ** "S600 Pullman Defender" on formal occasions. It is worth noting that during the 2018 Panmunjom North-South summit meeting, Kim Jong-un appeared in this car. There are reports that in 2018, Kim Jong-un's "S600 Pullman Defender" and Mai** "S62" and other models bypassed sanctions against North Korea and flowed into Pyongyang through six countries, including Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea and Russia.
So why did Kim Jong-un openly use the Mai ** that was banned from export?The situation has sparked widespread speculation. According to the analysis, in the second half of last year, North Korea eased the border lockdown caused by the new crown epidemic, which led to a gradual increase in the inflow of precious consumer goods.
South Korean analysts believe that the new car is likely to enter the DPRK privately in the process. It is estimated that the valuable consumer goods of the Kim Jong-un family alone could be worth hundreds of millions to billions of won per year.
This is not the first time that the Kim Jong-un family has been associated with Mercedes. His father, Kim Jong-il, also used Mercedes-Benz cars when he visited overseas, and he also presented his cronies with Mercedes-Benz plates with "216" license plates, a number that represented his own birthday.
In addition, in 2011, Kim Jong-un used Mercedes-Benz to inspect artillery units at military events such as large-scale fire Xi drills. Fujimoto, a former chef for Kim Jong-il, revealed in his autobiography that Kim Jong-un had been driving a Mercedes in his villa since he was 7 years old.
The incident has sparked international concern over Kim Jong-un's blatant use of Mai, which appears to be frowned upon by the DPRK despite the sanctions imposed by the Security Council. This has also raised questions about the effectiveness and feasibility of the sanctions policy.
Despite the international community's efforts to limit North Korea's nuclear program and missile development, the regime appears to still have access to expensive consumer goods and high-end cars. Kim Jong-un's Mercedes-Benz replacement also highlights the impact of the North Korean regime on the country's economic situation. Despite North Korea's economic woes, high-level people appear to be able to enjoy a luxurious life, sparking international speculation.
We can draw some inspiration and food for thought from this incident. First, the use of luxury goods by politicians should be strictly regulated and restricted to ensure that their actions are in the public interest and ethical standards. Second, the international community should continue to tighten sanctions and pressure on North Korea to curb the influx and abuse of its luxury goods. Finally, we should pay attention to the impact of the actions of politicians on the countries and people in which they live, and how to safeguard the public interest and social stability in a reasonable way.