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Northern Comforts

How Mercedes sedans and Hennessy cognac help keep Kim Jong Il in business.

By Drake Bennett
October 22, 2006

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IN THE EARLY 1990s, Kim Jong Il became the world's leading purchaser of Hennessy Paradis, a cognac legendary for its complexity and finesse. Paradis usually retails for a few hundred dollars a bottle, though in Kim's case bulk discounts may have applied: The North Korean leader--who, according to a former personal chef, has "an exceptionally discriminating palate"--was said to be ... (Full article: 804 words)

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