ID :
202013
Thu, 08/18/2011 - 05:28
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/202013
The shortlink copeid
N. Korean leader Kim Jong-il enjoys yacht holiday
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has been enjoying sailing on his yacht along the east coast in recent weeks, a person familiar with the issue said Thursday, as his country is struggling to recover from devastating floods.
Kim has been sailing in waters off a coastal villa, where he has been staying since August for a summer holiday, as he did in previous years, the person said on condition of anonymity. He was not authorized to speak to the media on intelligence matters on the record. He did not elaborate on the type of boat and who accompanied the leader during the cruise.
The development underscored that Kim's lavish lifestyle has not changed despite international sanctions banning the sale of yachts and other luxury goods to North Korea to try to squeeze Kim and his ruling elites.
Despite years of economic difficulty and food shortages, Kim has engaged in the gift politics of showering his top aides and other elites with luxury goods to win their loyalty.
Kim's summer holiday comes as the North is working to recover from the floods in the recent past that left dozens of people dead, injured or missing, while destroying thousands of homes and submerging or washing away tens of thousands of hectares of farmland.
There was no report in the North's state media on whether he traveled to the flood-stricken areas.
Kim visited a factory near his coastal villa in his first public appearance this month, according to the person, who is well positioned to know about the situation inside the isolated country.
Kim has been sailing in waters off a coastal villa, where he has been staying since August for a summer holiday, as he did in previous years, the person said on condition of anonymity. He was not authorized to speak to the media on intelligence matters on the record. He did not elaborate on the type of boat and who accompanied the leader during the cruise.
The development underscored that Kim's lavish lifestyle has not changed despite international sanctions banning the sale of yachts and other luxury goods to North Korea to try to squeeze Kim and his ruling elites.
Despite years of economic difficulty and food shortages, Kim has engaged in the gift politics of showering his top aides and other elites with luxury goods to win their loyalty.
Kim's summer holiday comes as the North is working to recover from the floods in the recent past that left dozens of people dead, injured or missing, while destroying thousands of homes and submerging or washing away tens of thousands of hectares of farmland.
There was no report in the North's state media on whether he traveled to the flood-stricken areas.
Kim visited a factory near his coastal villa in his first public appearance this month, according to the person, who is well positioned to know about the situation inside the isolated country.
