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Who Meticulously Erased All Traces After the Meeting With Putin?

A North Korean aide cleaning the chair where Chairman Kim Jong Un sat. Photo by Yunashev, Russian journalist on Telegram.
A North Korean aide cleaning the chair where Chairman Kim Jong Un sat. Photo by Yunashev, Russian journalist on Telegram.

Immediately after the meeting between Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, and Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, in Beijing, China on September 3, North Korean aides were seen meticulously cleaning the chair and table used by Chairman Kim.


KIM Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, and Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, held a meeting on the 3rd at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 4th. Yonhap News Agency

KIM Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, and Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, held a meeting on the 3rd at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 4th. Yonhap News Agency

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CNN reported on the same day under the headline "Wiping Away Kim Jong Un's DNA?" that a video filmed by a Kremlin pool reporter captured the scene of the chair where Chairman Kim had sat being thoroughly wiped down. In the released footage, an aide is seen repeatedly wiping the backrest, seat, and armrests with a white cloth. The aide also wiped the table placed between the two leaders several times. The persistent cleaning, despite the absence of any visible stains, drew attention. CNN noted, "Some genetics experts say DNA can be used for information gathering."


The video was filmed and released on Telegram by Russian journalist Pavel Yunashev.

Concerns Over Biometric Information Leakage... Thorough Security Awareness

This is not the first time Chairman Kim's traces have been erased. On the 2nd, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported that special equipment has been installed inside the private train boarded by Chairman Kim to prevent biometric information leakage, analyzing that this is a measure to monitor health status and prevent health information leakage through excrement and other means. Nikkei also reported, "When using hotels for North Korea-US summits and other events, all traces such as hair and saliva are removed, and used tableware is thoroughly sterilized to ensure no DNA remains."
This is not the first time Chairman Kim's traces have been erased. On the 2nd, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported that special equipment has been installed inside the private train boarded by Chairman Kim to prevent biometric information leakage, analyzing that this is a measure to monitor health status and prevent health information leakage through excrement and other means. Nikkei also reported, "When using hotels for North Korea-US summits and other events, all traces such as hair and saliva are removed, and used tableware is thoroughly sterilized to ensure no DNA remains."

In fact, during the 2018 inter-Korean summit at Panmunjom, a private restroom was specially brought in, and for the North Korea-US summit in Singapore that same year, a private restroom was also transported to the site. Ahead of the 2019 summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, there was a notable scene where Kim Yo Jong, now a deputy director of the Workers' Party, personally collected Chairman Kim's cigarette butts with an ashtray after he smoked. This was interpreted as a measure to prevent even cigarette butts from exposing health information.


An official from South Korea's National Intelligence Service, who is well-versed in North Korean affairs, told Nikkei, "The health information of the supreme leader has a significant impact on the North Korean regime," adding, "Special efforts are made to ensure that hair or excrement is not leaked outside."

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