When Kim Jong Un met Vladimir Putin in Beijing in early September 2025, during events marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, their handshake stole the headlines. But the real theater unfolded afterward. As the leaders departed, Kim’s aides moved with military precision, wiping armrests, clearing tables, and even taking the glass he had touched.
This is no mere obsession with cleanliness. DNA is regarded as state intelligence, a marker of power and control. For Pyongyang, safeguarding the leader’s traces is as critical as diplomacy itself, revealing the extreme lengths the regime goes to protect its secrets and maintain authority.
Click through the gallery to explore the meticulous security routines surrounding Kim Jong Un.