Kim Jong-il hated the United States. But an American carried him to the grave

Not one but 3 American cars featured prominently in the funeral procession.

ONE

The coffin of Kim Jong-il which sat atop the roof of a masterpiece of American automotive grandeur: a vintage 1975/6 armoured black Lincoln Continental stretch limousine. It has full rear fender skirts and five heavy vertical bars separating the grille into six sections. The sarcophagus rested on a 2-foot thick bed of white flowers.

TWO

A giant portrait of Kim atop another Lincoln limousine.

THREE

A huge wreath put atop yet another Lincoln car.

Some might say that North Korea is still living in the 1970s. Still it must be said that these cars are well maintained.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) claimed that more than 5 million North Koreans, more than 25% of the national population, showed up to mourn Kim.

The cars were probably chosen because they were previously used in the funeral of Kim Il-sung, who was Kim Jong-il’s father and the founding president of North Korea and who died in 1994.