Kim Jong-un is an avid luxury shopper, with China being one of his main suppliers. The North Korean leader reportedly spent billions of dollars, on luxury items from China, since he assumed his position, despite restricting UN sanctions. The report claimed that the items he purchased already accounted for 17.8% of North Korea's entire imports from China for the year 2017.
The United Nations has outlawed imports of luxury goods by North Korea because of its nuclear and missile programs. However, a South Korean MP, Yoon Sang-Hyun claimed that the restriction did nothing to curtail the imports. The state reportedly imported at least £493million or $640 million in 2017 alone.
The MP also detailed what was bought, which included Kim's lavish purchases from China and other nations. Some of the extravagant items mentioned were a seaplane, high-quality television sets, expensive musical instruments, liquor, watches and fur gifts, among others. As evidence of how extravagant Kim Jong-un was being, these were merely given as gifts to elites who supported his regime, the MP revealed.
Based on the disclosure, half of the total transactions, amounting to £262million, went to electronic products. The rest of the big purchases, amounting to £157million and £27million were cars and liquors, respectively. The MP was able to form his analysis by compiling data according to the list of banned items prepared by Seoul in line with a 2009 UN resolution.
Yoon emphasized that 17.8% of the entire imports since the North Korean leader assumed the position hailed from China. This was equivalent to billions.
On its part, China's customs agency reported last month that exports to North Korea have already waned. According to the agency, China's trade with North Korea from January to August 2018 was already down 57.8%. Yoon, however, claimed that from the end of 2011 to the present, Kim previously allowed China to earn £3billion from his luxury shopping. This led the MP to accuse China of not being strict with the enforcement of sanctions, to which China denied in the past already.
The United States had urged UN members to be strict with these sanctions so as North Korea can experience maximum pressure. Still, given that North Korea has already suspended nuclear and missile tests and Kim Jong Un even made a commitment to move towards de-nuclearization in June, maximum pressure might no longer be needed.
At the present, Beijing's customs agency has not given a response or a comment. However, it has once clarified that it was cooperating strictly with the sanctions policy against North Korea.
