Smuggled Imports Revealed in North Korea’s Capital

North Korea, where it is challenging to own a car
However, there are many imported cars in Pyongyang
A YouTuber filmed the streets of Pyongyang

North Korea is famous for being the world’s worst dictatorship and closed country. There is almost no concept of economy in North Korea, and many residents do not receive proper rations. As a result, owning a car in North Korea is only possible for the top class. While South Korea has over 25 million registered vehicles, North Korea has only around 300,000.

Because North Korea is under economic sanctions, exporting vehicles to North Korea is impossible. However, cars from famous brands are gradually being imported by smuggling through the three countries, and a YouTuber named Jaka Parker took pictures of imported cars captured in North Korea and uploaded them. Let’s take a look at what vehicles are.

Kim Jong Un’s favorite imported car
There were a lot of Mercedes-Benz cars

Kim Jong Il was a Mercedes-Benz enthusiast during his lifetime, and his son Kim Jong Un also has a special love for it. They have used the S-Class, S-Class Maybach, and even an old Maybach as VIP cars. Recently, Kim Jong Un was spotted driving the GLS Maybach, a high-end SUV.

According to Mercedes-Benz, the automaker does not officially export to North Korea, and it is presumed that cars sold to China or third countries were brought into North Korea through various routes. Additionally, Mercedes-Benz has been provided to high-ranking officials, and it is said that a significant number of Mercedes-Benz vehicles have been roaming around Pyongyang. The YouTuber captured Mercedes-Benz’s W124 E Class.

Toyota is everywhere in the world
North Korea was no exception

Currently, Toyota can be said to be the best-selling brand in countries that do not have their own vehicle production capabilities. The reason is that the price is low, the brand reliability is very high, and parts are relatively cheap and easily available. Is that why? Naturally, it is presumed that many Toyota vehicles entered North Korea. The YouTuber captured a full-size Toyota SUV, the 2nd generation Highlander, in North Korea. Toyota’s Lexus LX, developed and produced on the same platform, has also been spotted as a 3rd generation model. In addition to the two vehicles, a compact bus and a Coaster can be seen at the beginning of the video.

Volkswagen and Audi’s vehicles were also captured on camera and video

The Volkswagen brand has been known to be the most popular among German cars. Mercedes-Benz is a premium and expensive brand, so Volkswagen can be considered suitable for ordinary residents of Pyongyang. The 7th generation model of Volkswagen’s mid-size sedan Passat was captured twice on camera, and the 1st generation model of the full-size SUV Q7 of Audi, a Volkswagen Group subsidiary, was captured on camera. As we can see from the video, as sanctions against North Korea become stronger, we can’t see many of the latest cars, and the majority are somewhat older models.