Kim presents Putin with rare dogs

The two leaders exchanged gifts during their meeting in Pyongyang on Wednesday, including a Russian-made limousine

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presented Russian President Vladimir Putin with a pair of rare Korean dogs on Wednesday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) has reported. The two heads of state exchanged various gifts during talks in Pyongyang.

The meeting marked the first time the Russian president had traveled to North Korea since 2000. The latest state visit featured negotiations on economic, security, and geopolitical issues, culminating in the signing of a Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. In addition to President Putin, the Russian delegation was made up of various senior officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, and presidential foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov.

The KCNA reported on Thursday that “Kim Jong-un presented a pair of Phungsan, national dogs of the DPRK, to Putin as a gift in the garden of the Kumsusan State Guesthouse.”

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The Phungsan breed is endemic to mountainous areas in the north of the Korean peninsula. They hail from wolves and boast a thick, frost-proof white coat. They are capable of taking on large animals, and have traditionally been used as hunting dogs in Korea.

On Wednesday, Russian presidential foreign policy aide Ushakov revealed that Moscow’s delegation had presented Kim with an ‘Aurus’ car.

The Russian-made family of vehicles features limousines for top-level officials. Putin and Kim shared a ride in one upon the Russian president’s arrival at Pyongyang airport earlier on Wednesday.

According to Ushakov, the Russian delegation also gifted Kim a naval dirk and a “very beautiful tea set.”

The presidential aide stopped short of sharing what Putin had received in exchange, simply noting that he had been given “nice gifts, too.”

“They are connected with depictions of our president,” he added, describing them as being “of quite a high artistic value, including busts.”