Kim Jong Un took his own toilet to China to bring his poop back to North Korea. Why?

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is said to have carried his own toilet to China for the military parade. Russian leader Vladimir Putin was also in attendance for the event that marks the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. Kim Jong Un's daughter, Kim Ju Ae, also accompanied him on her first international trip. According to South Korean and Japanese intelligence agencies, the bulletproof train that Kim used to reach Beijing is equipped with a private lavatory. This is strictly the only toilet used during the trip, according to officials. This is done to ensure that Kim does not leave anything from his body behind, which can be used to extract DNA and consequently to learn about his physical health and any conditions he suffers from. This is not the first time that Kim has carried his own toilet with him for an international trip.

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Other times when Kim Jong Un carried his own toilet

In 2018, Kim attended a North-South summit on the South Korean side of the military border Pyongyang shares with Seoul. At that time, his officials brought a toilet for Kim to use to avoid leaving behind any traces of him that could give away his health status. In the same year, it was flown to Singapore, where Kim had travelled for the US-North Korea summit. A former North Korean Guard Command employee told The Washington Post in 2022 that the regime fears that dedicated sewer divers might access the supreme leader's stools.

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Why does Kim Jong Un carry his own toilet?

Experts say that the physical condition of the supreme leader has a major impact on the North Korean regime. Since Kim is overweight, a classic cause of several health conditions, such as heart disease. If his DNA falls into the wrong hands, it could prove dangerous as chatter about his suffering from a disease can trigger speculation of regime change, and even cause chaos in the country that has been under the rule of the same family for decades.

Even while he is in North Korea, he takes his own toilet with him. Kim's trips to military facilities or state-owned factories see his officials carry his own toilet and bathroom. His hair and saliva are also closely guarded. While travelling to Hanoi for the US-North Korea summit in 2019, a photo of Kim smoking while the train was at a halt in southern China's Nanning went viral. He was seen puffing while his sister, Kim Yo Jong, stood with an ashtray. All the utensils he eats from at hotels are also thoroughly cleaned. Similarly, his room is also perfectly scrubbed to ensure he leaves no traces of his body behind.