Kardashian of North Korea: Kim Jong Un’s Love Affair with Luxury

Kim Jong Un’s Luxury Import
A wide range of items, such as watches, bags, and coats
Ban on product delivery to North Korea

North Korea is known to have chronic food shortages situation, and citizens collapse from hunger. Yet, it is shocking that Kim Jong Un’s family imports many billions of dollars worth of luxury goods through the waterway.

Last year, a Unification Ministry official said during a press briefing, “The supply and transfer of luxury goods themselves violate North Korea sanctions, but it’s impossible to get an accurate figure due to the top-secret nature of information related to Kim Jong Un’s family. However, we have made estimates based on testimonies from defectors and information from local intelligence agencies.”

According to the Unification Ministry, the procurement of luxury goods for the royal family, including Kim Jong Un, is assumed to be handled and overseen by organizations like Room 39, which manages the ruling funds under the command of the secretariat. The items to purchase are speculated to be directly selected by the secretariat in Pyongyang or top echelons.

In reality, Kim Jong Un’s family, known as the royal family of North Korea, has been spotted carrying various luxury items.

Kim Jong Un has worn a watch from the Swiss brand IWC on multiple occasions. His wife, Ri Sol Ju, and daughter, Kim Ju Ae, have been known to wear Movado watches and Dior coats in public.

Ri Sol Ju, known as North Korea’s First Lady, has also been reported to wear the Tiffany brand frequently.

The UN Security Council recently inquired about the authenticity of a bag carried by Kim Yo Jong, the Deputy Director of the North Korean Workers’ Party, on her overseas tour to the brand.

According to the annual report released on the UN Security Council’s North Korea Sanctions Committee expert panel’s website, they sought to verify the authenticity of the black bag she was holding during a visit to a fighter jet factory in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, with Kim Jong Un.

Based on photos distributed by the Korean Central News Agency, the bag Kim Yo Jong carried was believed to be a product of the famous French brand Christian Dior. The UN Security Council sought to verify the authenticity of the bag to determine whether it violated the North Korea sanctions resolution.

According to the North Korea sanctions resolution set by the UN Security Council, the export of luxury goods to North Korea is completely banned. The Sanctions Committee asked Dior to verify the facts about the photo last year. Still, Dior reportedly responded, “It seems to be our product, but it’s difficult to verify its authenticity with just a photo.”

According to Dior, the bag in the photo is believed to be the ‘Sac Lady Dior Large cuir de veau carnage ultra matte noir’ model launched in February 2019. They added that it’s a part of their regular collection and is sold worldwide, with the highest sales in Europe and the United States.

The product is currently being sold for about $7,500. The Sanctions Committee asked Dior about the procedure for supplying the product to North Korea against the sanctions, to which they responded, “We comply with the regulations prohibiting the sale and transfer of luxury goods to North Korea. However, we do not have detailed knowledge about the supply network.”

Along with Kim Yo Jong’s Dior bag, Kim Jong Un’s luxury items also became a topic of discussion.

Kim Jong Un used an IWC watch and a Montblanc pen during his visit to Russia. He seems particularly fond of luxury watches, likely due to his deep knowledge and affection for Swiss watches, having spent his adolescence in Switzerland.

Beyond his love for luxury watches, Kim Jong Un has been seen wearing a suit made from Scabal, a luxury fabric from the UK, and carrying a Montblanc briefcase.

His wife, Ri Sol Ju, has also been seen wearing various luxury fashion items such as Dior handbags, Tiffany necklaces, and dresses from Gucci and Versace. Ri Sol Ju favors luxury bags, frequently using Dior and Chanel bags.

Their love for luxury items wouldn’t be a problem if they weren’t North Koreans or if they weren’t the supreme leaders of North Korea.

However, regarding how the royal family of North Korea purchased luxury goods, it is problematic when the UN Security Council includes a clause prohibiting the export of luxury goods to North Korea.

According to experts, North Korea is suspected of smuggling luxury goods mainly through Asian and Middle Eastern countries, including China. Some argue that all the luxury items they use are counterfeit, supported by the fact that they can easily obtain counterfeit products made in China, given their shared border. The fact that their borders meet makes it easy for North Korea to purchase China’s counterfeit products supports this hypothesis.

Meanwhile, North Korea’s luxury goods imports showed a downturn after they reached tens of thousands of dollars annually in the mid-2010s. However, the quantity seems to increase again for items not affected by the sanctions. It’s believed that North Korea’s import volume can reach its maximum due to China, North Korea’s largest trading partner, neglecting luxury goods imports.