Kim Jong-un’s Photographer Fired for Briefly Blocking Neck with Flash

Kim Jong-un’s personal photographer has reportedly been fired for breaking the dictator’s photography rules. The photographer’s offense? Standing directly between Kim and a crowd for just three seconds and blocking the view of Kim’s neck with a camera flash.

The South Korean news outlet DailyNK reports that the 47-year-old photographer with the surname Ri was part of the Korean Art Film Studio and had previously traveled with Kim to Hanoi for the second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.

But on March 10th, while photographing Kim at a public appearance, Ri stepped directly in front of Kim for about three seconds in search of a good angle. The photographer’s position momentarily blocked people from seeing Kim, and his camera’s flash covered Kim’s neck in official footage aired by the North Korean media outlet DRPK Today.

Ri was subsequently accused of “adjusting the angle so that the camera’s flash covered the Dear and Respected Supreme Leader Comrade’s neck.” He also broke a rule stating that photographers must stay at least 2 meters (~6.6 feet) away from Kim and never step directly in front of him.

Two days later, the Korean Art Film Studio ruled that Ri was guilty of “anti-Party act of damaging the Supreme Dignity of our Party.” Ri was kicked out of the Workers’ Party of Korea, “effectively rendering him a second-class citizen,” the Daily Mail reports.