North Korea Forced to Protect Statues of Kim Family Against Vandalism

A group of tourists—on command from their guide to bow deeply—bow before statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il-Sung (L) and Kim Jong-Il (R), on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang on July 23, 2017. North Korean authorities have increased the amount of 24-hour guarding at sites like this to prevent vandalism. ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images

North Korea’s many depictions of the ruling Kim family—murals, paintings, and other so-called “idolization objects”—are getting increased security, according to sources inside the country.

DailyNK—a news site based in Seoul known for gaining access to reliable sources inside its North Korea—is reporting that North Korean authorities have given orders to increase the security presence at sites that idolize the three generations of the ruling Kim family.