After his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, Kim Jong Un once again highlighted North Korea’s extraordinary caution — not with words, but through the meticulous actions of his staff.
Every surface the leader touched was carefully wiped down: the chair’s armrests and backrest, the table beside him, even his drinking glass was swiftly removed.
Analysts explain that these measures are not mere rituals of formality but part of deeply ingrained security protocols, aimed at protecting Kim’s health details from falling into foreign hands. Such steps, though extreme, reflect the regime’s enduring concern for safeguarding its leader — a practice rooted in the time of Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il.
From carrying special toilets to sealing waste bags, every detail is designed to prevent even the smallest trace — hair, skin, or cigarette ash — from being tested by outsiders.
As North Korea leadership expert Michael Madden notes, such fragments could reveal sensitive medical information.
This culture of vigilance has been observed for years. After Kim’s 2019 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, guards spent hours cleaning his hotel room and removing items, even a mattress.
During meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Putin, guards sprayed and disinfected chairs, wiped desks, and scanned seats with metal detectors before Kim would sit.
Though it may appear unusual to outsiders, these actions underline a broader humanitarian reality: the lengths to which a state will go to protect its leader, in a country where leadership is seen as inseparable from national survival. To Kim’s staff, every wipe of a cloth and every discarded item is not just about security — it is about safeguarding the very future of their nation.
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