North Korea, Russia aides get heated over air conditioner temperature in summit room

A subtle power struggle reportedly broke out between North Korean and Russian aides over the temperature of the meeting room ahead of the summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Russian media reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrive for a meeting in Beijing on Sept. 3. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

A subtle power struggle reportedly broke out between North Korean and Russian aides over the temperature of the meeting room ahead of the summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Russian media reported.

According to the daily Kommersant on Wednesday, just before the two leaders held what would become a cordial summit, the atmosphere among their aides was far from warm.

The incident occurred at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, where the bilateral talks were held. A North Korean official in charge of special duties reportedly attempted to change the air conditioner settings without consulting the others, grabbing the wall-mounted control panel.

When the North Korean side raised the room temperature to 23 degrees Celsius (73.4 degrees Fahrenheit), a Russian aide intervened, suggesting it be set to 20 degrees instead, according to the report.

"The North Korean official, although understanding the Russian’s words in Russian, refused to relent," the outlet reported.

The two aides reportedly tussled to remove each other's fingers from the temperature control.

"One of them eventually backed down," the Kommersant report said, adding, "It was probably the North Korean official who found it a bit uncomfortable."

A video posted on the newspaper’s Telegram channel shows the North Korean aide leaving the scene first, while the Russian counterpart remained by the control panel.

After the brief standoff, Putin and Kim arrived together in Putin’s armored Aurus Senat limousine. Unlike their aides, the two leaders held a 2-and-a-half-hour meeting praising each other and showcasing their so-called “blood alliance.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]