▲ This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Aug. 10, 2024, shows what is presumed to be a new model of a Mercedes-Benz SUV on a special train that the North's leader Kim Jong-un took to visit flood-hit areas of Uiju County in the northwestern province of North Phyongan from Aug. 8-9. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

NK leader-luxury SUV

N. Korean leader seen with new Mercedes-Benz SUV in defiance of sanctions

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to be using a new model of a Mercedes-Benz SUV in a move snubbing international sanctions banning North Korea's imports of luxury items.

Photos carried by the Korean Central News Agency on Saturday showed a black Mercedes-Benz SUV on a special train that Kim used to visit flood-hit areas of Uiju County in the northwestern province of North Phyongan last week.

The SUV is presumed to be the top-class model of the face-lifted Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC that was launched in April in South Korea. The price tag started at 279 million won (US$204,000).

Kim appears to have secured another high-end Mercedes-Benz SUV, as he was seen using the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 in January in footage aired by state-run TV.

The move is subject to the violation of U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions that ban the supply, sale and transfer of luxury goods, including automobiles, to North Korea.

The North's leader, known for his love for Mercedes-Benz, has made public appearances in different Mercedes-Maybach S-class vehicles, including a limousine, disregarding international sanctions on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

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