Russia’s Putin gifts indigenous car to North Korea’s Kim

ISTANBUL

Amid growing relations between Moscow and Pyongyang, Russian President Vladimir Putin gifted a car to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, state media reported on Tuesday.

The Russian-made car is for “personal use” of Kim, the Pyongyang-based KCNA reported.

It said the gift was delivered by the Russian side to North Korean ruling party’s officials, including Pak Jong Chon and Kim’s sister Kim Yo Jong on Sunday.

Kim “thanked” Putin, saying the gift “serves as a clear demonstration of the special relations of friendship between the top leaders” of the two countries.

The report neither revealed the company name nor the model of the car.

Putin’s gift to Kim came at a time when the bilateral relations between the two nations have seen an uptick amid Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.

The US and South Korea have condemned growing relations between Moscow and Pyongyang while Seoul said last year that Russia helped North Korea successfully launch its satellite.

Washington has also claimed that North Korea supplied more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions, including ballistic missiles, to Russia as its war with Ukraine completes two years this week.