Kim Jong-un was reportedly left ‘feeling uneasy about his safety’ following an alleged bomb attack (Image: GETTY)
Kim Jong-un was reportedly left “feeling uneasy about his safety” following an alleged bomb attack that rocked North Korea‘s capital city, Pyongyang, it has been claimed.
Claims regarding an explosion that hit the hermit nation, where news is heavily monitored and internal issues rarely go beyond the border, were published in the Dong-a Ilbo, a South Korean newspaper.
The publication cited a source who in turn mentioned testimony from local residents.
The insider didn’t rule out the explosion may have been the result of an accident or a heist – aiming at stealing food as the country is on the brink of a new famine – rather than an attempt at somebody’s life.
Equally, however, the report stated they could not exclude the possibility the alleged attack was aimed at a “high-ranking” regime figure.
READ MORE: North Korea fires ‘ballistic missile’ at Japan as spy satellite launch fails 
Kim Jong-un is part of the Kim dynasty ruling North Korea since the late 1940s (Image: GETTY)
As a result of this blast, the North Korean leader reportedly ramped up security measures around him.
To better protect himself, Mr Kim has been alleged to have imported new explosive detection equipment and to have added briefcase-wielding guards to his security team.
During a recent engagement, Mr Kim was photographed surrounded by several men in suits and ties carrying briefcases.
Michael Madden, a leading expert on the North Korean elite and fellow of the Stimson Center in Washington DC, told the US Sun: “There has certainly been a tightening of security measures around Kim Jong-un.”
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Speaking about the briefcases, Mr Madden added they are objects made of carbon fibre known as “ballistic bags or ballistic briefcases” often used as bulletproof shields and to protect people against tasers and similar electronic-based weapons.
Explaining how these special briefcases are used, he also said: “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 which 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 and then cover him until he can be tossed into a car.”
Mr Madden also suggested the North Korean dictator may have taken a leaf out of his father’s book and equipped some of his security guards with a defibrillator in order to have immediate medical support if needed.
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This report comes after Mr Kim, the third member of the dynasty that has been gripping North Korea since the creation of the country in the late 1940s, was humiliated once again following the second botched launch of a spy satellite.
Managing to send a spy satellite into space has been a priority for Mr Kim, as it would allow him to monitor incoming attacks and plot his own offensive manoeuvres.
But the attempt on Thursday failed during the third stage of the rocket’s flight.
The first botched attempt had taken place in May and had been described as their “gravest failure” by officials in Pyongyang.
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