This picture taken on Dec 13, 2025 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Dec 14, 2025 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (centre) inspecting the newly-completed Kusong City Hospital in Kusong. His sister (far left) is shown holding the phone in her right hand during the same trip. — KCNA via KNS/AFP
SEOUL: The North Korean leader's powerful sister Kim Yo Jong has been spotted with a likely Chinese-made foldable phone, as Pyongyang's elite skirt sanctions to get their hands on the latest gadgetry from abroad.
Images released by state media on Dec 14 showed Kim holding the phone in her right hand during a trip to a hospital opening alongside her brother Kim Jong Un.
Although the brand name cannot be seen in the picture, the phone closely resembles the Chinese brand Honor's "Magic" line, advertised as "the world's thinnest foldable smartphone".
The V3 model of the phone sells for around US$1,379 (RM5,640) – well out of range of the average North Korean, who analysts say typically earn up to three dollars a month in state-run industries.
Kim's family is known for their love of gadgets.
Leader Kim Jong Un has been pictured using Apple products, including iPads and MacBooks, at high-profile events.
In 2023, he also sported a foldable smartphone during a missile launch.
UN sanctions imposed in response to North Korea's nuclear programme prohibit the import of smartphones.
A domestic smartphone market has ballooned in recent years, with analysts at specialist website NK News identifying over a dozen brands now available. – AFP
