Putin gave Kim the first Aurus limousine in February this year
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took turns driving each other around in a Russian-made Aurus limousine on Wednesday, after the Kremlin said Putin had gifted Kim with a of luxury vehicles.
In a carefully curated public relations opportunity held amid tight security, the two leaders seized the moment to show how close their working relationship had become during what was a pompous visit by Putin to Pyongyang, his first in almost a quarter of a century.
The trip came after the two leaders signed an agreement that included a commitment to mutual defense, one of Russia’s most significant moves in Asia for years, which Kim said was an “alliance.”
A video released by Russian state TV showed Putin jumping behind the wheel of the black armored Aurus, which is his official presidential car in Russia, with Kim in the passenger seat.
The car is then shown driving on a road that winds through a carefully manicured park area before coming to a stop. A Korean man in a suit and white gloves is seen opening the door for Kim before rushing to hold the door for Putin.
Putin and Kim are then shown walking side by side and talking on a trail in a wooded area with two men, presumably translators, walking behind them.
Kim, who is believed to be a huge car enthusiast, is then shown taking Putin back.
One of Putin’s aides said on Wednesday that the Russian leader had gifted Kim a Russian-made Aurus limousine.
Putin gave Kim the first Aurus limousine in February this year, the two countries said at the time, meaning he now has at least two of the vehicles.
The Aurus Senat, with retro styling inspired by the Soviet-era ZIL limousine, is the official car of the Russian presidency and Putin drove one of them at his most recent inauguration ceremony in the Kremlin in May.
When Kim visited eastern Russia in September last year, Putin showed him one of the vehicles. Kim sat next to Putin in the car and seemed to enjoy it.
Kim has a large collection of foreign luxury vehicles that were likely smuggled, as UN Security Council resolutions ban the export of luxury goods to North Korea.
He was seen in a Maybach limousine, several Mercedes, a Rolls-Royce Phantom and a Lexus sport utility vehicle.
Aurus Motors began manufacturing its cars in the Russian region of Tatarstan, about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from Moscow, in 2021.
A senior Russian official said last month that Russia would start building Aurus cars at a former Toyota plant in St. Petersburg this year.
Russia is looking for ways to utilize car factories left idle after some global car manufacturers withdrew from the Russian market following Putin’s decision to send tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine in February 2022.
Western sanctions imposed on Russia since then have helped sharply increase new car prices and caused Chinese manufacturers to expand their market share, while some mass-market Russian car makers have struggled.
According to Russian analytical agency Autostat, 40 Aurus brand cars have been sold in Russia so far this year.
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