"Why Am I Just a Prop?!" The Mauritanian President Who Stormed Out of Kim Jong-un’s Foreign Policy Disaster, and the 4-Hour Runway Nightmare of 89-Year-Old Kim Yong-nam

"A stunning diplomatic insult! North Korea invited Mauritania's head of state, only to ignore him in favor of China and Cuba. The furious African President packed his bags early, leaving an 89-year-old loyal servant shivering on a freezing runway for four hours to clean up Kim Jong-un's mess."

North Korea is widely known as one of the most secretive and tightly controlled regimes on Earth. But what actually happens behind the heavy velvet curtains of its massive state ceremonies?

In September 2018, Pyongyang was swept up in a frenzy of celebration. It was the 70th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean regime (commonly known as the 9/9 Day). Kim Jong-un was desperate to parade global dignitaries through Pyongyang to project an image of strength and legitimacy. However, behind this grand, choreographed spectacle lay a mind-boggling diplomatic catastrophe—one that defies all common sense.

A sitting foreign president, invited as a guest of honor, became so enraged by Kim Jong-un’s blatant "cold shoulder treatment" that he packed his bags and left in the middle of the national event. What followed was an even greater absurdity: Kim Yong-nam, the 89-year-old nominal head of state, was forced to stand shivering on a freezing runway for four agonizing hours just to appease the departing guest.

It was an utterly ridiculous farce where the young dictator who caused the mess remained completely indifferent, leaving a frail old man to clean it up.

This jaw-dropping, 100% real story of North Korean diplomatic dysfunction was recently exposed by Ri Il-gyu, the former counselor at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba—the highest-ranking North Korean diplomat to defect since Thae Yong-ho. Here is the full, untold story of a historic diplomatic trainwreck.

The High Stakes of the 2018 ‘9/9 Day’ and the Panic in Pyongyang
"An Unexpected Catch": The Backstory of Mauritania's Presidential Visit
Kim Jong-un’s Fatal Protocol Blunder: "Only China and Cuba Matter"
"Get the Plane Ready, Now!" A Furious President Declares an Early Exit
Why 89-Year-Old Kim Yong-nam Stood Shivering on the Tarmac for 4 Hours
Beijing's Silent Flex? The Denied Airspace Clearance
The Shocking Twist: How a Dying Shiver Touched the President's Heart
The Grim Reality of the "Supreme Leader System" Through the Eyes of Diplomats
Closing Thoughts: What Is Your Take on This?

1. The High Stakes of the 2018 ‘9/9 Day’ and the Panic in Pyongyang

In North Korea, anniversaries ending in zero or five—known as Jeongjunyeon (정주년)—are not just holidays; they are high-stakes theatrical productions where the entire country’s resources are mobilized to glorify the regime. The 70th anniversary on September 9, 2018, was arguably the most critical milestone since Kim Jong-un took power.

Behind the scenes, the North Korean Foreign Ministry was in a state of absolute panic. Ever since the devastating famine of the 1990s (the 'Arduous March'), the veteran diplomats who knew how to orchestrate massive international summits had either retired, passed away, or defected.

Terrified of a logistical disaster, Kim Jong-un issued a rare joint decree, forcing the Central Committee’s International Department and the Foreign Ministry to co-host the event.

The goal of inviting these foreign dignitaries was obvious. At a time when North Korea was heavily sanctioned and increasingly isolated due to its nuclear and missile tests, the regime desperately needed a visual prop to say: "Look, we still have strong allies around the world." It was nothing more than a hollow, staged show.

2. "An Unexpected Catch": The Backstory of Mauritania's Presidential Visit

But getting respected world leaders to RSVP to a pariah state’s military parade is an uphill battle. Most normal nations politely declined or sent low-level delegations. To most of the world, North Korea was a subject of complete indifference.

Then, a sudden stroke of luck hit Pyongyang. President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania, a republic in Northwest Africa, announced he would attend in person.

In truth, this wasn't the result of brilliant North Korean diplomacy. President Aziz was already on an official state visit to neighboring China. Hearing about the massive 70th-anniversary spectacle next door, he decided to satisfy his curiosity.

"Since I am already in China, why not drop by and check out this mysterious country, North Korea?"*

It was a casual, spontaneous decision. For North Korea, however, this was a massive victory. President Aziz was the only active, sitting head of state attending the 9/9 Day celebrations. Naturally, he should have received the absolute highest level of diplomatic protocol.

3. Kim Jong-un’s Fatal Protocol Blunder: "Only China and Cuba Matter"

When the military parade began, things went south almost instantly.

Kim Jong-un’s attention was entirely consumed by two specific delegations: China (represented by Li Zhanshu, the third-highest official in the Chinese Communist Party) and Cuba (represented by Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa).

This is where a catastrophic protocol blunder occurred.

The gold standard of diplomatic protocol is aligning rank with treatment. China's Li Zhanshu was a legislative leader, and Cuba's Valdés was a vice president. Meanwhile, Mauritania's Aziz was a sitting President. According to universal diplomatic rules, President Aziz should have been positioned right next to Kim Jong-un in the absolute center of the main viewing platform.

Instead, Kim Jong-un chose raw geopolitics over protocol, showing behavior driven purely by immediate self-interest. On the grand balcony of the Grand People's Study House, Kim placed China's Li Zhanshu directly to his right. To his left stood Kim Yong-nam (the nominal head of state), followed by the Cuban Vice President.

Where was the Mauritanian President?

Despite holding the highest rank among all visiting guests, President Aziz was pushed past the Cuban Vice President and relegated to the far corner of the balcony. Throughout the parade, Kim Jong-un conversed warmly with the Chinese and Cuban delegates, barely offering a glance, let alone a handshake, to the Mauritanian President.

4. "Get the Plane Ready, Now!" A Furious President Declares an Early Exit

Footage from the event captured President Aziz’s face visibly hardening with rage. He realized he had traveled all the way to Pyongyang only to be treated as a low-level prop to fill a seat on Kim Jong-un’s stage.

"Are they ignoring us just because we are an African nation? Am I somehow lower in rank than this country's subordinate officials?"

President Aziz’s pride was crushed. For heads of state, especially those from developing nations, diplomatic protocol is inextricably tied to national sovereignty. This level of neglect was practically a declaration of disrespect.

Unwilling to endure another second of this humiliation, President Aziz returned to his residence immediately after the parade and barked an order to his staff:

"Cancel all remaining plans. Pack the bags and get our plane ready. We are leaving this country right now."

The official itinerary included watching North Korea's famous Mass Games and attending the prestigious state banquet at the Mokran House. President Aziz skipped it all. He wanted out, and his team immediately began packing their bags at the hotel.

5. Why 89-Year-Old Kim Yong-nam Stood Shivering on the Tarmac for 4 Hours

By the time the panic filtered up to Kim Jong-un, he was too preoccupied with his Chinese and Cuban guests to care. He casually ordered:

"If he wants to leave, let him leave. But make sure we send him off with utmost courtesy so he cannot complain later." (One has to wonder whether this was pure ignorance or foolish arrogance on Kim's part.)

The man tasked with executing this "courteous send-off" was Kim Yong-nam, the 89-year-old President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly. Kim Yong-nam was a legendary political survivor who had served under Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un without ever facing a single purge—a true master of obedience.

Taking Kim Jong-un’s order literally, the elderly statesman rushed to Sunan International Airport in the pitch-black, freezing hours of the early morning.

He lined up the military guard of honor and the brass band, said his stiff farewells, and watched the Mauritanian President board his private jet.

But the real nightmare was just beginning.

6. Beijing's Silent Flex? The Denied Airspace Clearance

The cabin doors of the presidential jet slammed shut, and the engines roared to life. Yet, ten minutes passed, then thirty, then an hour. The plane remained completely stationary on the tarmac.

The issue was entirely out of North Korea's control: China had not granted overflight permission.

Because the Mauritanian President's departure was an unplanned, emotional exit, his flight path had not been pre-cleared. To return home, the plane had to fly through Chinese airspace. With the request submitted suddenly in the middle of the night, Chinese aviation authorities dragged their feet, taking hours to authorize the unscheduled flight.

While the bureaucracy ground along, the 89-year-old Kim Yong-nam stood waiting on the open runway. The pre-dawn autumn wind whipping across the flat tarmac of Sunan Airport was bitterly cold, bordering on freezing. It was a punishing environment for a man nearly 90 years old.

7. The Shocking Twist: How a Dying Shiver Touched the President's Heart

As the delay stretched to two, three, and finally four agonizing hours, President Aziz looked out of his warm cabin window. He was shocked by what he saw.

Despite the fact that he had snubbed Kim Jong-un's grand events and demanded an early exit, North Korea's nominal head of state—a frail, white-haired 89-year-old man—was still standing perfectly erect in the freezing cold, refusing to leave until the plane took off.

Touched and concerned that the elderly diplomat might literally collapse on the tarmac, President Aziz sent his chief of staff down to the runway:

"Please, go inside and rest. The President is deeply moved by your gesture, but the weather is too cold. You do not need to stand out here."

But Kim Yong-nam steadfastly refused:

"Our esteemed guest came to visit our Republic. I cannot take a single step off this runway until I see our guest safely depart our airspace."

For Kim Yong-nam, this wasn't just diplomatic courtesy; it was a matter of survival. He knew that if he failed to carry out Kim Jong-un's order to "show utmost courtesy," it could be framed as political negligence or treason.

Finally, after four hours, China cleared the flight. As the plane taxied and climbed into the sky, Kim Yong-nam stood waving until it disappeared into the clouds. Witnessing this sheer, desperate display of dedication, President Aziz's anger reportedly melted away. What began as a diplomatic disaster ended in a strange, bittersweet moment of human sympathy.

8. The Grim Reality of the "Supreme Leader System" Through the Eyes of Diplomats

This bizarre incident exposes the absolute dysfunction of North Korea's diplomatic apparatus under Kim Jong-un’s absolute rule:

The Infallibility of the Leader: No one in the Foreign Ministry dares to correct a mistake once Kim Jong-un has signed off on it. Pointing out that a sitting president is being placed behind a vice president is viewed as questioning the Supreme Leader’s judgment—a mistake that could land a diplomat's entire family in a political prison camp. How incredibly absurd.
The Death of Common Sense: Minor administrative requests, like swapping a sedan for an SUV for an injured guest, require complex late-night reports to the dictator, forcing security forces to work through the night to locate a brand-new car.
Geopolitical Tunnel Vision: By obsessing only over superpower neighbors like China and long-time allies like Cuba, North Korea routinely insults smaller, friendly nations, isolating itself even further on the global stage.

As Counselor Ri Il-gyu reflected, North Korean diplomats are highly educated elites who understand how the civilized world works. Yet, the moment they return to Pyongyang, they are reduced to terrified cogs in a machine, forced to prioritize the whims of one man over the strategic interests of their country.

9. Closing Thoughts: What Is Your Take on This?

The Mauritanian President's sudden exit and the image of an 89-year-old man shivering on a runway for four hours is a tragicomic metaphor for the North Korean regime itself.

What do you think was going through Kim Yong-nam's mind during those four hours on the freezing tarmac? Was it sheer loyalty, or was it the quiet, desperate terror of a survivor?

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