North Korean Women Flaunt Expensive Luxury Handbags During Chairman Kim Jong-un’s Visit to Russia
Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and Foreign Minister Choe Son-hee recently made headlines as they proudly displayed their pricey designer handbags during Chairman Kim’s visit to Russia. This revelation has shed light on the continued fascination of high-ranking North Korean officials with luxury goods, despite United Nations sanctions implemented in 2006.
According to reports from NK News, an American media outlet specializing in North Korea, Vice Minister of Labor Kim Yo-jong was seen carrying a Christian Dior bag valued at around $7,000. Made with exquisite calfskin, this upscale accessory is available on Dior’s official website. Similarly, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui was spotted sporting a Gucci handbag, specifically the Zumi model crafted from ostrich leather. Although no longer in production, this luxurious piece can be found on the resale market for approximately $10,000.
It is worth noting that the export of luxury goods to North Korea has been prohibited since the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1718. However, this ban seems to have little impact on the affinity for opulence exhibited by high-ranking officials. Chairman Kim Jong-un himself has been seen wearing an IWC Schaffhausen watch from Switzerland during his visit to Russia. Even his wife, Lee Sol-ju, and daughter, Joo-ae, have been photographed donning extravagant Dior items, sparking debate and criticism.
NK News has expressed its concern over the North Korean authorities’ crackdown on “capitalist culture” while high-ranking officials indulge in luxurious items. This contradiction has led critics to question whether these measures are merely attempts to maintain control and suppress potential discontent.
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Nazanin Zadeh-Cummings, deputy director of the Center for Humanitarian Leadership at Deakin University in Australia, shared insights into the stark contrast between the elite class in North Korea and the average citizen. “It is common for high-ranking North Koreans to possess items that most ordinary people could only dream of owning,” Zadeh-Cummings explained. She further emphasized that this conspicuous display of luxury goods serves as a representative example of the stark wealth disparity within the country.
Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and Foreign Minister Choe Son-hee each holding a bag. Korean Central News Agency, NK News
It was recently revealed that high-ranking North Korean women showed off expensive luxury handbags when Chairman Kim Jong-un visited Russia.
According to NK News, an American media outlet specializing in North Korea, on the 19th, on the 16th, Chairman Kim’s younger sister, Vice Minister of Labor Kim Yo-jong, carried a Christian Dior bag while visiting the Yuri Aviation Factory Gagarin in Komsomolsk -on-Amur.
The handbag that Kim Yo-jong is carrying is a high-end product made of calfskin and is sold for $7,000 (about 9.29 million won) on Dior’s website.
Also on the same day, it was confirmed that the handbag carried by North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui was also made by Italian luxury brand Gucci. The Zumi model, made of ostrich leather, is no longer in production, but is sold for $10,000 (about 13.3 million won) on the used market.
Previously, with the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1718 on sanctions against North Korea in 2006, the export of luxury goods to North Korea was banned. However, not only do high-ranking North Korean officials still patronize luxury goods, but Chairman Kim Jong-un also wore an IWC Schaffhausen watch from Switzerland during his visit to Russia. Also, in the past, his wife, Lee Sol-ju, was seen carrying a Dior handbag, and his daughter, Joo-ae, appeared wearing a Dior coat, sparking controversy.
NK News criticized North Korean women’s love of luxury handbags and the North Korean authorities’ crackdown on ‘capitalist culture’, criticizing it as a tool to destroy North Korea.
Nazanin Zadeh-Cummings, deputy director of the Center for Humanitarian Leadership at Deakin University in Australia, said, “It’s common for high-ranking North Koreans to have items that ordinary people wouldn’t even dream of.” “It is a representative example,” he said.
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