New Delhi: A bizarre scene unfolded after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s high-profile meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, as his aides were caught on video meticulously cleaning every surface he had touched, prompting widespread speculation about his obsessive security measures.
The staff accompanying the North Korean leader meticulously erased all traces of Kim’s presence.
They took the glass he drank from, wiped down the chair’s upholstery, and cleaned the parts of the furniture the Korean leader had touched. pic.twitter.com/JOXVxg04Ym
— Russian Market (@runews) September 3, 2025
The footage, first posted on Telegram, shows Kim’s staff springing into action immediately after the leaders’ talks concluded. One aide carefully polished the backrest of Kim’s chair, while another wiped the armrests and surrounding furniture. Even his drinking glass was removed on a tray with near-forensic precision.
“After the negotiations, the staff accompanying the head of the DPRK carefully destroyed all traces of Kim’s presence,” reported Russian journalist Alexander Yunashev on his channel Yunashev Live.
“They took away the glass from which he drank, wiped the upholstery of the chair, and those parts of the furniture that the Korean leader touched,” he added.
Despite the dramatic clean-up operation, Yunashev noted that the meeting ended cordially, with both leaders “very satisfied” and sharing tea before departing.
Precautions Or Paranoia?
The reason behind Kim’s extreme caution remains unclear. Analysts suggest it could stem from distrust towards Russia’s intelligence services or fears about Chinese surveillance. But the North Korean leader is far from alone in these practices.
Russian President Vladimir Putin himself is reportedly notorious for taking extensive measures to guard against DNA theft. Since 2017, his bodyguards have allegedly collected his urine and faeces during international trips, sealing them in special containers and returning them to Moscow in suitcases, reportedly to prevent foreign intelligence agencies from gaining insight into his health.
This same protocol was reportedly enforced during Putin’s meeting with former US President Donald Trump in Alaska, underlining the Kremlin’s intense concern over biological security.
A Brotherhood Of Sanctions
At the Beijing summit, held on the sidelines of a grand military parade hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Kim pledged full solidarity with Moscow.
“If there is anything I can or must do for you and the Russian people, I consider it my duty as a fraternal obligation,” Kim told Putin, who responded by addressing him warmly as “Dear Chairman of State Affairs”.
Putin, in turn, expressed gratitude to Pyongyang for deploying troops to support Russia’s war in Ukraine. While North Korea is believed to have sent around 13,000 soldiers, reports suggest that nearly 2,000 have already been killed in the conflict.
The meeting marked Kim’s first visit to China since the COVID-19 pandemic and offered him a rare opportunity to engage not only with Putin and Xi, but also with over two dozen world leaders gathered to commemorate Japan’s surrender in World War II.
Following the signing of a mutual defence pact in 2024, North Korea and Russia have drawn closer than at any time in recent history, united in their defiance of Western sanctions and deepening military cooperation.