QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ON KIM’S SAFETY

Who are the men in suits running alongside Kim Jong Un’s limousine?

The North Korean leader’s dozen jogging bodyguards first came to the world’s attention in late April at the inter-korea summit in the demilitarized zone. They have resurfaced this week accompanying Kim’s vehicle in Singapore ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. The men chosen to protect Kim are drawn from the Guard Command, a military unit with an estimated 100,000 members responsible for ensuring the safety of the North Korean leadership. AFP reported in April that the bodyguards providing the first line of defence are selected for “fitness, marksmanship, martial arts skills and even looks.” They must be approximately the same height as Kim and come from trusted families.

Is it all just for show?

Kim’s limousine is bulletproof, so even without the bodyguards’ human shield, it is unlikely a sniper could take him out. The running guards, who carry handguns, are most valuable for scanning crowds to detect any threat. They are part of a multi-layered protection stretching out about a kilometre from Kim’s location, the BBC reported. According to a Reuters report, Kim’s chief of staff, Kim Chang-son, was filmed on his flight to Singapore looking at documents that said: “To guarantee success of the summit, the first and second priorities will be to ensure the safety of Chairman Kim Jong Un.”

Does Kim have reason to be worried?

Singapore is considered one of the safest cities in the world. But as a ruthless, nucleararmed dictator who has executed challengers and imprisoned tens of thousands of his citizens in gulags, Kim has no shortage of enemies. It appears he is taking no chances. The South Korean newspaper The Chosun Ilbo reported Monday that North Korea used two decoy aircraft to disguise which plane carried Kim to Singapore, in case someone sought to shoot it down. One of the planes carried Kim’s limousine as well as his personal portable toilet to “deny determined sewer divers insights into the supreme leader’s stools,” the newspaper reported.

Is the trend toward jogging bodyguards catching on?

The North Koreans’ first appearance created a buzz in April, but there is no sign of other leaders following suit. United States Secret Service members sometimes surround the presidential limousine when it moves slowly — for example, during the Inaugural Parade — but their outfits are not co-ordinated and they do not appear to break a sweat. Trump has been impressed by displays of force in the past, however, seeking to copy France’s Bastille Day military parade, so Secret Service members may want to hit the treadmill just in case.