North Korean Senior Officials' 'Mercedes-Benz Parade' Surprises German Headquarters: "We Didn't Make Any Deals"

Mercedes-Benz Headquarters "Checking Inflow Routes"
"Cannot Control All Third-Party Sales"

Senior North Korean officials sparked controversy by arriving in luxury German cars, 'Mercedes-Benz,' during the year-end plenary meeting last year. In response, the Mercedes-Benz headquarters stated that they are "investigating the source of inflow."

On the 3rd (local time), 'Voice of America (VOA)' cited a statement from the Mercedes-Benz German headquarters public relations office, saying, "Mercedes-Benz has had no business dealings with North Korea for over 15 years and strictly complies with the sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union (EU)."

North Korean senior officials attending a meeting in a Mercedes-Benz vehicle [Image source=Captured from Chosun Central TV]

Mercedes-Benz added, "We have implemented comprehensive export control processes to prevent the delivery of vehicles to North Korea." However, they admitted that it is impossible to track specifics as they cannot verify each vehicle identification number individually.

Mercedes-Benz said, "Please understand that we do not know how the vehicles were used by the North Korean government," adding, "The sale of vehicles by third parties, especially used cars, is beyond our control and responsibility."

The 'North Korean Mercedes-Benz convoy' was spotted during the 9th plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party held in Pyongyang on December 27 last year. Three officials?Kim Deok-hoon, Premier of the North Korean Cabinet; Jo Yong-won, Party Organization Secretary; and Choe Ryong-hae, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly?each arrived at the meeting venue in a 'Mercedes-Benz S-Class.'

On the 8th of the same month, a scene showing North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un stepping out of a new Mercedes-Maybach vehicle was also broadcast on Korean Central Television. The Maybach model that Chairman Kim rode began production in 2019, and its domestic sales price is known to exceed 300 million KRW.

Chairman Kim is known as a Mercedes-Benz enthusiast, as he has been frequently seen traveling in Mercedes-Benz vehicles at local events in North Korea. When traveling abroad, he sometimes transports Mercedes-Benz cars on his dedicated train. At the Russia-North Korea summit last September, a Mercedes-Benz was loaded onto Chairman Kim's private train.

Currently, United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 2094 prohibits the export of luxury goods such as luxury cars, racing vehicles, and jewelry products to North Korea.

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