Moon, Kim Avoid Exchanging Lavish Gifts

Published on 2018/04/29 | Source

President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are avoiding the exchange of lavish gifts at Friday's summit amid international sanctions against the regime.

UN Security Council sanctions resolutions ban the export to North Korea of luxury goods including jewelry, carpets, high-end dinnerware, expensive liquor and many other items.

The list is so comprehensive that there is very little Moon could legitimately give Kim.

During the first inter-Korean summit in June 2000, President Kim Dae-jung gave North Korean leader Kim Jong-il two dogs of the Jindo breed, a 60-inch TV, three video tape recorders, and an electronic organ.

Kim Jong-il gave Kim Dae-jung two dogs of the Pungsan breed, and three bottles of blueberry wine to each of 130 South Korean officials who accompanied the president.

During the second inter-Korean summit in October 2007, then President Roh Moo-hyun gave Kim Jong-il an eight-panel lacquerware folding screen inlaid with mother-of-pearl from Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, a tea set inlaid with rose of Sharon patterns, and tea from Jeju and Boseong, South Jeolla Province.

Kim Jong-il gave Roh 4,000 kg of pine mushrooms.