Russian authorities wanted to present North Korean leader Kim Jong-un with a typical Russian ushanka fur hat with ear flaps during his visit to Vladivostok in mid-September. But they didn’t know the size of his head. “It is absolutely unthinkable to put someone in [Noord-Korea] to ask about the size of the leader’s head,” Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Matsegora said in an interview with Russian media. An employee of his diplomatic staff knew a solution for this ‘impossible mission’, according to Matsegora. There are several photos of the Russian ambassador himself standing next to Kim Jong Un, the aide said. What if we measure Matsegora’s head and compare its size with Kim’s head in the photos? For example, Kim’s head size was estimated after careful image analysis: his head was slightly smaller than Matsegora’s self-described “very large” specimen. The gift was presented by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who in July stood in Pyongyang applauding the rolling past of North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction, against which Moscow previously supported UN sanctions. It was exciting for a moment, but relief quickly followed: the hat fit perfectly over Kim’s iconic hairstyle. According to the ambassador, the Great Leader personally gave permission for a photo of him wearing the hat to be distributed via North Korean state media.
Run away from ballet gift
The fur hat wasn’t the only gift Kim received. He also received a gun as a gift – funny, because Kim had brought the same gift for President Putin. The North Korean dictator also took home a spacesuit glove, a model aircraft, a painting, a bulletproof vest, several attack drones and a sword – violating at least two UN sanctions. The dictator was also entertained with a walrus that performed tricks. A ballet performance of Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty was less popular: Kim was visibly bored and left after the first act.