A bomb exploded in North Korea’s capital, apparently in an assassination attempt on Kim Jong-un.
Security around the North Korean leader has increased since the blast, which, according to sources, occurred in Pyongyang eight weeks ago and has left Jong-un “uneasy about his safety.” According to insiders, the politician, who has been North Korea’s supreme leader since 2011, has imported new explosive detection technology and additional briefcase-wielding officers to his security force.
Michael Madden, a leading expert on the North Korean elite, said: “There has certainly been a tightening of security measures around Kim Jong-un. These are known as ballistic bags or ballistic briefcases. They are made of carbon fiber. In addition to being bulletproof, they also protect against tasers and other electronic-based ordnance. If the spotters radio the guards about suspicious activity or if a shot is fired, they can raise the bags to protect Kim Jong-un. These bags also unfold; there is either velcro or a clasp that can be undone, which turns the bags into a kind of fabric shield. So if someone takes a shot at Kim, they would open these bags, surround him, and then cover him until he can be tossed into a car.”
Kim Jong-il, the North Korean leader’s father, had also outfitted his guards with ballistic briefcases
He pointed out that Kim Jong-il, the North Korean leader’s father and predecessor, had also outfitted his guards with ballistic briefcases. They did, however, serve a dual purpose in his case, transporting medical supplies, including a portable defibrillator.
Madden said: “This begs the question: Do these briefcases contain similar measures for Kim Jong-un? Especially when we consider his immediate bodyguards are carrying them around.”
According to the expert, Kim’s bodyguards carried the luggage on two occasions in April: a visit to the North Korean space agency and a ribbon-cutting event in Pyongyang. Fumio Kishida, Japan’s Prime Minister at the time, had survived an assassination attempt when an explosive was hurled at him during a campaign tour. It happened less than a year after Kishida’s predecessor, Shinzo Abe, was assassinated.
Madden, a fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, DC, also highlighted senior regime members’ increasingly sporadic public appearances. According to the South Korean authorities, Kim’s public appearances this year have been cut in half.
Madden said: “In 2017 or 2019, we would see senior officials presiding over or attending certain non-holiday or non-anniversary events. Since 2020, it has been highly uneven, putting aside, of course, social distancing. Sometimes we see these gentlemen, sometimes we do not.
South Korea’s spy agency was unable to confirm the explosion. “The outbreak of a bombing attack has not been identified, but we are tracking related situations,” a spokesperson told the press.