Is North Korea's Kim Yo-jong's Bag a Dior Bag? ... Dior Says "Looks Like Our Product but Authenticity is Uncertain"

Dispute Over Left Behind Bag During Visit to Russia
Media Reports It Is Presumed to Be a Christian Dior Product

It has been revealed that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) North Korea Sanctions Committee and Christian Dior engaged in intense discussions over the authenticity of the bag carried by Kim Yo-jong, Vice Director of the Workers' Party of Korea, during her visit to Russia.

According to the annual report published on the 20th (local time) by the expert panel of the Sanctions Committee (hereinafter referred to as the panel), the committee and Dior exchanged letters twice in October and November of last year. The topic of discussion was the black bag Kim Yo-jong carried when she visited a Russian fighter jet factory with Chairman Kim Jong-un in September.

Kim Yo-jong's bag presumed to be a luxury handbag.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The incident began after media reports suggested that the bag was presumed to be a product of the French luxury brand Christian Dior. To examine whether this violated the UNSC's ban on luxury goods exports to North Korea, the committee first sent Dior several questions to verify the facts.

In response, Dior stated, "It is strongly presumed to be one of our handbag models, but it is difficult to confirm its authenticity based on photos alone." They added, "The product in the photo appears to be the 'Sac Lady Dior Large cuir de veau cannage ultramatte noir,' first released in February 2019," and explained, "It is part of a permanent collection sold worldwide, with the highest sales in Europe and the United States."

Regarding the committee's inquiry about Dior's supply network to North Korea, Dior said, "Dior complies with regulations prohibiting the sale or transfer of luxury goods to North Korea," and added, "We are not aware of the supply network." Furthermore, Dior lamented, "We do not know how North Korean officials obtained the product, and despite efforts to comply with sanctions, it is practically impossible to fully control transfers through resale."

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