Part 5/13:
Despite Kim Jong-un’s displays of solidarity with Moscow and Beijing, his regime maintains an extreme stance of secrecy concerning his physical health. South Korean intelligence officials have emphasized that understanding the leader’s health is crucial, as it directly impacts the regime’s stability. The elaborate clean-up operations serve as a stark reminder of the pervasive paranoia that cloaks North Korea’s leadership.
Kim’s security measures, while heightened, are part of a broader pattern of regimes fearing foreign intelligence invasion or assassination attempts. The lengths to which North Korea and Russia go underscore the fragile nature of their leadership and their desire to control information about their leaders’ health and well-being.