The Pope squeezes into a humble Kia on arrival in Seoul, following his request to travel in the smallest South Korean car available. Pope Francis choice of wheels during his five-day visit to South Korea has surprised many in the country, where important people rarely hit the streets in anything but expensive luxury cars. After his arrival on Thursday, the pope left the airport in a compact black Kia that many South Koreans would consider too humble a conveyance for a globally powerful figure. In a live television broadcast, the pope climbed into the back seat of the boxy Kia Soul, rolled down the window and waved. Surrounded by a few bigger black sedans, the popes compact car headed towards Seoul. Francis frugality and humble demeanour have received wide coverage in South Korea, a fiercely competitive country that celebrates ostentatious displays of status and wealth. For the man called The Peoples Pope, the choice makes sense. He has eschewed the bullet proof popemobiles that his predecessors used on foreign trips and urged priests around the world to travel in low-key cars. Inside the Vatican City, the pope prefers a blue Ford Focus, or when hes out in St. Peters Square, a white open-topped vehicle that allows him to literally reach out and touch the masses. South Korean media widely reported that the pope requested the smallest South Korean car during his visit. The Soul is Kias second smallest model and reportedly provides more leg room than other compact cars.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 08:49:07 +0000
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