Despite Worsening Food Shortages... "Kim Jong-un Family Spends Billions on Luxury Goods"

Ministry of Unification's Analysis Briefing on 'North Korea's Luxury Goods Imports'
"Luxury Goods for the Kim Family Worth Tens of Billions Annually"
Kim Yo-jong Carried a 10 Million Won Dior Bag During Russia Visit

Despite suffering from chronic food shortages, the government has identified that the North Korean authorities have continued to spend up to several billion won annually on importing luxury goods for the 'Kim Jong-un family.' A representative example is Kim Yo-jong, the Deputy Director of the Workers' Party, who was recently spotted carrying a luxury handbag worth around 10 million won while accompanying Chairman Kim Jong-un on his visit to Russia.

An official from the Ministry of Unification told reporters on the 19th, "It appears that North Korea frequently imports luxury goods worth several hundred million to several billion won annually for the Kim Jong-un family." While the act of supplying and transferring luxury goods to North Korea itself violates UN sanctions, and exact figures are difficult to ascertain due to the highly confidential nature of information about the Kim family, the Ministry of Unification explained that this estimate is based on testimonies from defectors and local information collected by intelligence agencies.

Kim Yo-jong, Vice Director of the Workers' Party, accompanying North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un on his visit to Russia, is carrying a Christian Dior bag worth around 10 million won.

The Kim family's love for luxury goods was clearly evident during Chairman Kim's recent visit to Russia. At that time, Kim Yo-jong closely accompanied her 'brother Kim Jong-un' and was seen carrying a high-priced handbag worth about 10 million won. Based on the distinctive quilted pattern and metal-style decorations, the bag was presumed to be a product of the French luxury brand Christian Dior.

'Kim Jong-un's daughter,' Ju-ae, has also frequently been seen adorned in luxury items. For example, at the test launch site of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Hwasong-17 in March this year, Ju-ae appeared wearing a black coat featuring overlapping square and diamond patterns. This item was also from Christian Dior and was sold for $2,800 (approximately 3.58 million won) on Dior's official website at the time.

Kim Jong-un's daughter, Ju-ae, is wearing a coat presumed to be from the French luxury brand Christian Dior at the test launch site of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Hwasong-17 in March this year.

It is presumed that the items purchased for the Kim family are directly selected by the Pyongyang Secretariat or the 'top leadership.' In particular, luxury goods such as jewelry, watches, and high-end brand products are subject to UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea, so it is understood that pro-North countries or embassy staff and traders dispatched to Europe are mobilized to purchase and bring them in. During the period when borders were closed due to the spread of COVID-19, making land imports difficult, it is believed that these goods were illegally shipped and imported via cargo ships, according to the Ministry of Unification's analysis.

An official from the Ministry of Unification explained, "The procurement of luxury goods for the Kim Jong-un family involves the Secretariat's command and the 'Party Office No. 39,' which manages ruling funds. North Korea collects luxury goods from various countries and consolidates them in the China-North Korea border area, then transports them by land, sea, or air. They smuggle the goods by hiding the final destination through multiple transit points."

In September 2012, North Korean farmers in Kaesong are sorting harvested corn in the field.

Chairman Kim Jong-un himself, while portraying a compassionate leader by saying "Let's overcome disasters" at the October 2020 military parade commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Party's founding, was criticized after being spotted wearing a Swiss IWC wristwatch worth about 14 million won while wiping away tears. According to testimonies from defectors and others, Kim uses a 'luxury goods governance technique,' gifting watches and luxury items to party, government, and military officials on important occasions.

An official from the Ministry of Unification said, "Kim Jong-un especially favors certain officials or those who achieve special results in the military sector by bestowing luxury vehicles. On occasions such as the Kim family's birthdays or party congresses, he also gifts Swiss watches like Omega and the latest portable electronic devices." The official criticized this behavior as "a display of luxury consumption that disregards the attention of residents struggling with food shortages."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.