The Hidden Message Behind Putin's Gifts to Kim Jong-un:
An 'Aurus' Car with '7.27.1953' Engraved
- Analyzing the Political Significance of July 27 in North Korea -
Lee Seung-hyun
Research Fellow at SAND Institute
Last month, President Vladimir Putin presented North Korean leader Kim Jong-un with a luxury Russian-made ‘Aurus’ limousine during his visit to Pyongyang. The car's license plate bore the date ‘7.27.1953,’ marking the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953.
Earlier in February, President Putin had given Kim Jong-un an ‘Aurus’ car with the same date, ‘7.27.1953,’ inscribed on its license plate. Kim frequently used this vehicle for official purposes and was seen with his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, at the inauguration of the Kangdong Greenhouse Farm near Pyongyang in March.
What could be the reason behind Vladimir Putin gifting Kim an ‘Aurus’ car with the date ‘7.27.1953’ engraved on it twice this year?
North Korea celebrates July 27 as ‘Victory Day,’ marking their perceived victory in the Korean War. Since Kim Jong-un took power, the date ‘July 27’ has become his personal brand. His official vehicle, known as the ‘No. 1 car,’ carries the license plate number ‘7.27.598.’ The first part, ‘7.27,’ signifies the armistice date, ‘59’ corresponds to his appointment as Chairman of the Workers' Party on May 9, 2016, and the ‘8’ is believed to represent his birth year.
Kim Jong-un (right) drives the ‘Aurus’ car with the number ‘7.27.1953,’ a gift from President Vladimir Putin (left),
during Putin's visit to Pyongyang on June 19. / Rodong Sinmun
Kim Jong-un is known to have gifted high-end cars featuring the ‘7.27’ plate to his close associates. During Kim Jong-il's regime, top officials' cars had plates marking his birthday, ‘2.16.’ Kim Jong-un's grandfather, Kim Il-sung, branded ‘4.15’ to signify his own birthday.
Kim Jong-un's use of ‘7.27’ as his brand is speculated to be politically motivated, partly because he cannot officially reveal his complete biography.
With North Korea officially adopting ‘7.27’ as Kim Jong-un’s brand, even cigarette brands with this date have appeared. The ‘7.27’ cigarettes, which Kim reportedly enjoys, are sold at premium prices. Putin's decision to gift Kim Jong-un an Aurus car with the ‘7.27’ plate twice is seen as highly symbolic.
Gifting luxury cars is not new for Russia. In 1950, during the Korean War, Joseph Stalin gave Kim Il-sung a Soviet luxury car, the ‘ZIS.’ Seventy-four years later, during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Putin has gifted a luxury car to Kim Jong-un, receiving conventional weapons from North Korea in return.
The Soviet ‘ZIS’ passenger car gifted by Joseph Stalin to North Korean leader Kim Il-sung
on October 26, 1950 / International Friendship Exhibition website
Putin and Kim Jong-un have highlighted their close relationship by taking turns driving cars with the ‘7.27’ license plate.
Putin was seen driving with Kim Jong-un in the passenger seat, highlighting the idea that the ‘7.27’ victory was achieved with Russian support.
On the other hand, Kim driving with Putin beside him signals their shared ambition to achieve victories on the global stage, including in the Ukraine conflict.
Putin paid tribute to Soviet soldiers who died in the Korean War by laying a wreath at the Liberation Monument and signed a treaty that strengthened the bilateral relationship to a near-military alliance.
The Aurus, dubbed the ‘Russian Rolls-Royce,’ is Russia’s premier luxury car brand used for official state purposes. As a luxury item, it violates United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions against North Korea. Analysts interpret Putin's repeated gifting of such cars to Kim Jong-un as an effort to undermine these sanctions.