Kim Jong-un, the North Korean dictator, is "extremely nervous" about plots to assassinate him, according to South Korea's intelligence agency, and uses a number of ruses to foil would-be assailants.

As well as being fearful of an attack by gunmen on the vehicles that he uses to travel around the country, Mr Kim is also constantly worried about an airstrike, officials of the National Intelligence Service told a restricted session of the South Korean parliament on Thursday, Yonhap News reported.

"Kim is engrossed with collecting information about the 'decapitation operation' through his intelligence agencies", said Lee Cheol-woo, an opposition politician who attended the meeting.

He added that Mr Kim has taken to travelling at dawn and switches between different subordinates' cars instead of always travelling in his own Mercedes-Benz.