Daimler has 'no idea' where Kim Jong Un got his limos for Putin and Trump summits
The North Korean leader raised eyebrows for using Daimler-branded stretch limos at summits with Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
Saturday 27 April 2019 17:38, UK
German car manufacturer Daimler, which makes the luxury armoured limousines favoured by Kim Jong Un, says it has no idea where he acquired them from.
The sales of luxury goods, including limousines, to North Korea is strictly banned under UN sanctions.
But the armoured black Daimler limousines have become a regular favourite of the North Korean leader.
The Stuttgart-based manufacturer is one of the world's premium automobile companies and owns the Mercedes-Benz brand.
This week, Mr Kim was seen arriving in a Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
It is also believed he used the same model for his both of his summits with Donald Trump in Singapore last summer and in Vietnam in February.
Mr Kim has been previously pictured travelling in a Mercedes Maybach S62.
Daimler's limousines have been the vehicle of choice for political leaders and royal families around the globe for decades.
The carmaker says the S600 Pullman Guard used by Mr Kim this week offers passengers "not only a maximum of comfort, but also a superbly appointed setting for discreet meetings".
The model reportedly costs €1.4m (£1.2m) brand new in Germany.
On the Daimler's website, it says "the Asia region, and especially China, are playing a central role in our car business in particular", but North Korea is not one of the company's official customers.
A spokesperson for Daimler said the firm had "absolutely no idea how those vehicles were delivered to North Korea" and that it "strictly complies with EU and US embargoes" so had "no business connections with North Korea".
However, the company admitted the sale and re-sale of cars by third parties "are beyond our control and responsibility".