RUNNING UP THE TAB

Report: North Korea Owes NYC $156,000 in Parking Tickets

The country’s diplomatic mission to the UN reportedly hasn’t paid them in decades.

North Korea’s diplomatic mission to the United Nations reportedly owes New York City more than $156,000 in parking tickets dating back to the 1990s. NBC New York, which uncovered the unpaid tickets after an investigation, spoke with Jong Jo, the secretary of the government’s UN mission, who said “it’s not true,” adding: “Whenever we have a ticket, we pay. Because, you know, if we have three tickets the city does not allow us to renew their permission.” As NBC New York notes, the city government can suspend diplomatic parking privileges, but most of the parking tickets were given before that regulation was put into place. Countries such as Syria, Iran and China have reportedly racked up even more unpaid charges than North Korea.