North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s new official car was spotted on yesterday. It is believed to be the latest luxury sports utility vehicle (SUV) from German automaker Mercedes-Benz, released in South Korea only four months ago.
Rodong Sinmun, the state-run newspaper, reported that Kim visited flood-stricken areas in Uiju County, North Pyongan Province, last week after traveling by private train.
Kim delivered a speech aboard the train, where a Mercedes-Benz SUV with the license plate number 7·271953 was seen. The license plate refers to July 27, 1953, the date of North Korea’s Victory Day.
This vehicle is presumed to be the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC Facelift model, which started selling in South Korea in April 2024. The starting price in South Korea is approximately $204,000.
In January, Kim was seen in the documentary “Great Transformation, Victory and Change of 2023,” aired by North Korea’s state broadcaster, KCTV, driving a Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600, which starts at US$175,500. It appears that he has since acquired a new Mercedes SUV.
In addition to this SUV, reports indicate that Kim also owns Maybach sedans, limousines, and Lexus SUVs from Japan’s Toyota.
Kim has been showcasing his luxury vehicles internationally, such as when he drove around Pyongyang with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a Mercedes during Putin’s visit to North Korea last June. North Korean high-ranking officials also frequently appear at public events in Mercedes vehicles.
However, Kim and other high-ranking North Korean officials’ use of luxury cars may violate international sanctions. According to UN Security Council Resolution 2397, adopted in December 2017, the direct or indirect supply, sale, or transfer of luxury goods or means of transport to North Korea violates sanctions.