North Korea has purchased more than 250 Chinese-made cars as gifts to government officials this year, the Seoul-based Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported Wednesday.
Around 100 Chinese-made cars had been delivered by Tuesday to North Korea through a checkpoint on the border with China, the report said, adding that the vehicles were F3 compact sedans, manufactured by BYD, which is known as the "people's car" in China.
Lin Mi, a spokesman of BYD, told the Global Times that Pyongyang has already purchased roughly 260 cars from the company in the first quarter this year, costing more than $2 million. In the deals, F3s have accounted for about 150 of the vehicles, with the others being F6 models.
"As far as I know, those cars might be allocated to governmental departments, including police stations and army forces," Lin added.
Citing a source from North Korea, the Chosun Ilbo said that the cars are gifts for mid-level officials at North Korea's prosecution and state security agency, and have been distributed to specific people in various regions.
Meanwhile, North Korea is staging a major military exercise attended by leader Kim Jong-il, Pyongyang's official media said Wednesday.
Kim and top military officials watched a drill by the Large Combined Unit 567, the Korean Central News Agency said, adding that more displays of firepower are planned this month. It did not say when or where the exercise was held but noted that it was staged to mark the "Day of the Sun" - the April 15 anniversary of the birth of Kim Il-sung, Kim's father and founding president.
Seoul's defense ministry said preparations were underway in the North "for a massive joint show of firepower by air and ground forces." In a report to parliament, it said the display would be held to mark the Day of the Sun and the April 25 anniversary of the founding of the North's military.
