Overview

• Footage shared on Telegram shows North Korean staff removing Kim Jong Un’s drinking glass and thoroughly wiping his chair and nearby surfaces after talks with Vladimir Putin in Beijing.
• Russian journalist Alexander Yunashev reported the operation and described aides “destroying all traces” of Kim’s presence following the meeting.
• Analysts said the forensic-style sweep appeared intended to prevent the collection of DNA or other biological samples from items the North Korean leader touched.
• The Kremlin said Kim and Putin traveled to the negotiations together in the same car after China’s World War II parade, with the talks continuing in a more informal tea setting.
• Kim pledged strong support to Putin during the talks, as South Korean assessments continue to cite large-scale North Korean transfers of troops and munitions to Russia, alongside previously reported upgrades to Kim’s security such as jamming and drone-detection gear.