Kim Jong Un’s Staff Filmed Cleaning Venue Following His Meeting With Putin

Strict cleaning measures reflect Pyongyang’s long-standing security protocol to protect the leader’s health.

North Korean staff were filmed meticulously wiping down furniture and objects handled by Kim Jong Un following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, in what analysts describe as part of Pyongyang’s established security procedures.

The two leaders met on Wednesday during events marking the 80th anniversary of World War II’s victory. Their talks lasted more than two hours and were followed by a brief tea break before parting ways.

But it was the behavior of Kim’s entourage afterward that drew attention worldwide. A video posted on Telegram by Kremlin journalist Alexander Yunashev showed North Korean attendants cleaning the backrest and armrests of Kim’s chair, sanitizing the coffee table beside him, and removing his water glass.

“Following the negotiations, the aides who had traveled with the head of the DPRK went to great lengths to remove all evidence of Kim’s visit,” Yunashev noted.

Experts said such measures are consistent with North Korea’s long-held concerns about foreign intelligence services attempting to collect DNA or other materials to assess Kim’s health.

Michael Madden, a specialist on North Korean leadership at the Stimson Center, explained that these practices date back to the era of Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il.

“Special toilets and the removal of garbage bags containing waste or cigarette butts ensure that no foreign intelligence service, even a friendly one, can obtain samples for testing,” Madden said. “Such material could reveal medical conditions, including through hair or skin fragments.”

Similar precautions have been documented before. After Kim’s 2019 summit in Hanoi with then-U.S. President Donald Trump, his security team reportedly spent hours cleaning his hotel room and even removed a mattress. Comparable scenes were observed during meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in 2018 and with Putin in 2023, when guards disinfected and inspected chairs before Kim took his seat.

While Pyongyang emphasizes Kim’s role on the international stage, the extensive cleaning routines highlight the regime’s ongoing fixation with secrecy and safeguarding the leader’s image and health.

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