Image via the Swedish Embassy
For nearly half a century, North Korea’s government has left an old debt unpaid for 1,000 Volvo 144 sedans it acquired back in the 1970s. The episode reads like a curious blend of geopolitical intrigue and the kind of behavior you’d expect from a buyer with no intention of ever settling the bill.
The cars were delivered in good faith during a brief period of trade optimism, but payment never followed, and the outstanding balance has only grown with interest over the years. Sweden has periodically issued reminders of the debt, more symbolic than expectant at this point. It remains one of the stranger footnotes in automotive history, a transaction left perpetually unresolved.
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If they’re stolen, they won’t be paid for. That’s what stolen means.