Kim Jong-un Asks Questions After Test Drive
Russian President Vladimir Putin's introduction of the Russian luxury car 'Aurus' directly to North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un has become a hot topic.
According to Russia's TASS news agency, on the 13th (local time), President Putin showed his black Aurus limousine to Chairman Kim at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Amur Oblast.
After inspecting President Putin's car from the outside, Chairman Kim personally sat in the rear seat where Putin sits to test the ride comfort and asked the president questions. President Putin explained the car's features, saying, "The car's name is Aurus."
UK's Sky News reported that "Chairman Kim was delighted by President Putin's offer to ride in the limousine."
President Putin then moved with Chairman Kim in another Aurus vehicle, allowing Kim to see both the sedan and limousine models of Aurus.
Aurus is Russia's first luxury car brand, known as the "Russian Rolls-Royce." It appeared at President Putin's inauguration ceremony in May 2018 and is also provided as a protocol vehicle for foreign heads of state.
According to the UK’s The Sun, President Putin’s exclusive Aurus is an armored vehicle weighing up to 7 tons, capable of withstanding bomb and chemical weapon attacks, and boasts safety features that allow occupants to survive even if the vehicle falls into water.
It is reported that 12.4 billion rubles (approximately 170 billion KRW) were spent on the design and production of this car.
Meanwhile, in 2018, former US President Donald Trump also personally showed Chairman Kim the US presidential limousine 'Cadillac One' during the North Korea-US summit held in Singapore.
Chairman Kim arrived at the station near the Vostochny Cosmodrome, where the North Korea-Russia summit was held, by a special train and came to the meeting venue riding a Maybach vehicle brought from North Korea.
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