[코리아헤럴드=김아린 기자] 김정은 북한 국무위원장이 소지한 것으로 보이는 ‘폴더블폰’은 중국산 제품으로 추정된다는 국가정보원의 평가가 나왔다.

27일 국회에 제출된 자료에 따르면, 국정원은 지난 12일 ‘화성-18형’ 시험발사 시찰 현장에서 포착된 폴더블폰이 철도편으로 밀수입된 중국 제품일 가능성이 있다고 보고, 상세한 반입 경로를 추적 중이다.

북한은 작년 8월 방역전 승리를 선포한 뒤, 150일여만인 9월부터 북중 화물열차 운행을 재개했다.

〈원문 기사〉

Foldable smartphone pictured with Kim Jong-un likely Chinese product: NIS

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service believes the mobile device pictured next to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un earlier this month is likely a Chinese product, according to the state agency's assessment obtained by the National Assembly on Thursday.

In its assessment, the NIS said the foldable smartphone is believed to be a Chinese product smuggled in by rail after the cross-border freight train operations between North Korea and China resumed in September last year.

The NIS is trying to ascertain how the smartphone was brought into North Korea and how it was paid for, the assessment read.

In the photo from the July 12 test-launch of the solid-fuel Hwaseong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile, Kim was seen sitting in front of a table, on top of which sat a device that resembled a foldable smartphone.

The photo, released by the North’s state Korean Central News Agency, fanned speculation that the device appearing to belong to the North Korean leader may be made by Samsung or Huawei.