Kim Jong-un’s running bodyguards spotted in Singapore ahead of Trump meeting

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in Singapore surrounded by his army of running bodyguards ahead of his highly anticipated summit meeting with US President Donald Trump.

The bodyguards made international headlines in April when 12 suited men were spotted running alongside Kim Jong-un’s limousine whenever he crossed the border into South Korea to meet with his counterparts.

Kim Jong-un will meet with Trump in Singapore on Tuesday, with security at the event expected to be ultra-tight.

The North Korean leader arrived for the summit on an Air China flight after reportedly dispatching two decoy flights.

The dictator is notoriously paranoid about safety and takes extreme measures to shield himself from would-be assassins.

Korea National Sport University professor Kim Doo-hyun said the trip was the first time Kim Jong-un had visited a foreign country other than China or South Korea.

"As the venue and time of the summit have already been announced, security for Kim Jong Un will be tighter than for any other VIPs."

“I think we can presume that North Korea made more demands to Singapore than the United States did in terms of security.”

Trump usually has four strolling security guards surrounding his vehicle, however his motorcade has up to 50 vehicles.

Every minute of the heavy security detail is estimated to cost $3403 (£2464), according to an analyses by Wendover Productions.

Chae Kyou-chir, chief executive of Top Guard, a prominent South Korean security firm, said in addition to using bulletproof vehicles, North Korea’s security detail would likely deploy layers of protection surrounding the summit venue and try to divert attention from Kim Jong-un’s car whenever he moves.

“We’ll most likely see an unprecedented scale of protection on land, sea and air as this summit is the biggest issue in the world right now.

“Kim Jong-un is revered as a god-like being in his country, while outside the North, he’s been subject to hostility because of the way his regime is run, and that’s enough to always cause safety concerns for his officials,” said Chae.

The North Korean leader is also likely to be served food prepared by a traveling chef from the North, Chae added.

The summit venue, roads and hotels in Singapore will be secured by the Gurkha Contingent of the Singaporean police, according to diplomats familiar with VIP security in the island state.

The southern resort island of Sentosa, where the summit will be held, has been added to the list of special event areas by the Singaporean government during the week of the summit.

As a result, police will make stricter checks of people and personal property and items such as public address systems and remotely piloted aircraft systems will be prohibited in the special event areas.

Singapore airspace will be restricted during the summit which is likely to result in delays at one of Asia’s busiest airports.

Kim Jong-un and Trump are expected to discuss "a permanent and durable peace-keeping mechanism" on the Korean Peninsula and other issues of mutual concern during their Tuesday meeting, which will mark the first time a North Korean leader and sitting US president have met for diplomatic talks.

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