Reported about 1 year ago
On June 19, 2024, Russian President Putin visited North Korea, where North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presented Putin with a pair of North Korean national treasure Pungsan dogs. The two leaders signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty after Putin's 24-year hiatus in visiting North Korea. Putin gifted Kim Jong-un a luxurious car, the Russian top-of-the-line Aurus, in return. Both leaders were seen in a joyful mood spending leisure time together, even taking turns driving the Aurus on a paved road within the hotel grounds. Despite UN sanctions, Kim Jong-un still owns multiple Western luxury cars, including a Rolls-Royce and a bulletproof Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard. Putin's gift of the Aurus violates UN sanctions, but both leaders seemingly did not mind. During a walk in the garden, Kim Jong-un presented a pair of Pungsan dogs, a national treasure of North Korea, to Putin, who expressed gratitude. This exchange of gifts between leaders is not uncommon, with Putin previously receiving named dogs like 'Buffy' from Bulgaria in 2010 and 'Yume' from Japan in 2012. In a notable instance in 2017, Turkmenistan's president rudely grabbed a Central Asian shepherd dog and planned to gift it to Putin, who intervened, showing a humane side and named the dog 'Verni,' meaning 'loyal' in Russian.
Source: YAHOO