North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Putin held bilateral talks at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on September 3rd. However, before the official meeting, a dramatic scene unfolded as the two countries’ aides engaged in a heated dispute over the temperature setting of the meeting room’s air conditioning, even staging a “remote control battle” before the North Korean side eventually compromised and conceded.
According to a special correspondent of the Russian newspaper Kommersant, a North Korean staff member set the conference room temperature to 23 degrees Celsius, while a Russian staff member insisted on setting it to 20 degrees Celsius. As a result, the two parties’ staff engaged in an intense “remote control battle,” refusing to give in to each other and even attempting to pry open each other’s fingers to gain control of the remote control. The report stated that although North Korean officials could understand Russian, they initially refused to compromise.
Ultimately, the North Korean staff chose to back down and leave the scene, while the Russian staff remained to ensure the temperature stayed at 20 degrees Celsius. Analysts believe that this seemingly minor dispute actually reflects the power struggle between the two sides on detailed issues, with North Korea’s ultimate concession possibly indicating its relatively weaker position in the overall negotiations.
The meeting between Kim Jong-un and Putin was divided into two stages. Firstly, there was an extended meeting involving delegations from both countries lasting over an hour and a half. Subsequently, the two leaders engaged in a one-hour individual meeting, delving deeply into key bilateral issues.
According to Russian media outlet RT, the core of the discussion revolved around the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Kim Jong-un explicitly mentioned North Korean troops participating in relevant military operations, while Putin affirmed the role of North Korean soldiers in the war.
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict has lasted for over three years, with Russia facing a severe shortage of personnel. Since the beginning of this year, North Korea has dispatched a large number of soldiers to Russia and continued to provide crucial military supplies such as ammunition, becoming an important military support force for Russia.
After the meeting, North Korean staff quickly conducted a thorough cleaning of all items touched by Kim Jong-un. A video released by Kremlin reporter Alexander Yunasev on Telegram showed two staff members carefully wiping the back of the chair where Kim Jong-un sat and using a tray to handle the glass he used, demonstrating extreme caution throughout the process.
In fact, similar rigorous cleaning measures have been common in North Korean leaders’ past international summits, becoming a unique symbol of their security protocol.
Prior to the 2023 summit between Kim Jong-un and Putin, North Korean security personnel used disinfectants to wipe chairs and conducted a comprehensive scan of the seating area with metal detectors. During the historic 2018 meeting between Kim Jong-un and then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Panmunjom, security personnel sprayed disinfectants and thoroughly wiped down the tables and chairs before Kim Jong-un sat down.
Following the 2019 meeting between Kim Jong-un and then-US President Trump in Hanoi, Kim’s security detail spent hours cleaning the hotel room and even handling large items such as mattresses. These security measures reflect the unique and rigorous nature of North Korean leaders’ security systems, demonstrating North Korea’s high vigilance and level of distrust towards the external environment.