As the world watched with the display of diplomatic unity in Beijing while China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un met in public for the first time, the ritual followed by the North Koreans also made headlines.
After a recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, North Korean staffers were seen meticulously wiping the chair, scrubbing the coffee table and even removing Kim Jong Un’s drinking glass—apparently to erase any physical or biological traces the North Korea’s “supreme leader” may have left behind. The aim was to prevent foreign intelligence agencies from collecting DNA or health-related clues such as skin cells, hair or saliva.
As the world watched with a significant display of diplomatic unity in Beijing while China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un met in public for the first time, the ritual followed by the North Koreans also made substantial headlines.
But this was not the first time the ritual was observed, according to reports Kim’s staff executed similar procedures during prior international visits like during the 2019 Hanoi Summit with US President Donald Trump when guards were seen blocking the hotel room floor, thoroughly cleaning the room, and removing the mattress. Following a 2023 meeting with Putin, guards not only disinfected the chair but also used metal detectors to check the seat for any hidden threats.
Basically, when Kim Jong Un leaves a foreign location, his team goes into forensic-cleaning mode—scrubbing every item he touched and removing cups or chairs—to eliminate any trace of his DNA or other biological indicators.
Part of a long tradition of security
Those in know of the North Korean traditions say that these unusual, extreme measures are part of tradition, they were observed for his father as well.
This is part of a rigorous security practice designed to hide his health and whereabouts from foreign intelligence, a tradition that stretches back to his father’s era. Similar practices existed for Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. Roads were sometimes closed, cleaned, or even repaved after they travelled, reflecting both reverence and strict control.
According to reports Kim travels in a special armoured green train equipped with a private toilet ensuring no waste (like urine or excrement) can be collected and analysed by outsiders/rivals. This is standard protocol, aimed at safeguarding his health information and preventing any agency—even a friendly one—from acquiring biomaterial that might reveal Kim’s medical condition. For a secretive state like North Korea, preventing outsiders from collecting DNA or health data on the leader is important.
Reasons rooted in political culture of North Korea
In North Korea, the leader is treated as an almost divine figure. everything he touches or steps on is considered sacred, surfaces he has walked on or used are sometimes polished, disinfected, or even replaced.
Cleaning or resurfacing the areas after his visit is a way for officials to show absolute loyalty and reverence. It signals that his presence is so significant that ordinary people should not tread the same ground afterward.
