There’s a reason why past presidents chose not to go to #NorthKorea while in office: Such visits grant enormous legitimacy to the Kims.
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Jean H. Lee
@newsjean
North Korea watcher. Co-host of 's #LazarusHeist podcast series - Season 2 is out now! Find me on IG:
jhleemedia.comJoined October 2008
Jean H. Lee’s Tweets
Kim: “In a word, the U.S. did not ready itself to sit face to face with us and settle the problem nor had a clear direction and methodology.” So Kim’s getting a taste for how things work these days in the White House.
Horrific tragedy in one of the most vibrant, diverse neighborhoods in Seoul on a weekend meant to be a celebration after three years of strict covid restrictions. This alleyway is Seoul’s Lan Kwai Fong: boisterous, bustling, packed with bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes.
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"There were so many people that we couldn't move," said a witness to the Halloween crowd crush in Seoul, which killed at least 146 people. "It looked like I would have died if I had fallen." nyti.ms/3gTVdS2
Alarming news from : "In what a former official described as a 'Wednesday night massacre,' the heads of Middle East Broadcasting, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and the Open Technology Fund were all ousted" cnn.com/2020/06/17/med
Yikes. photo editor clearly didn’t read essay and/or isn’t paying attn to news in #SouthKorea. Poor photo choice/poor timing.
A few weeks ago, asked me what to watch for from #Korea in 2020. I said: #SouthKorea, which is stepping into the limelight as a pop culture powerhouse, from #Parasite to #BTS, and refuses to be defined by the nuclear threat from #NorthKorea. #Oscars
He's back in action. #KimJongUn attended a ceremony at the Sunchon fertilizer plant (my translation), according to Yonhap News in South Korea.
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[속보] 김정은, 순천인비료공장 준공식 참석 yna.kr/AKR20200502010
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#KimJongUn cut the ribbon himself at a ceremony at Sunchon fertilizer factory on May 1 (Labor Day), according to an account of a #NorthKorea state radio dispatch relayed by #SouthKorea's JoongAng Ilbo news.joins.com/article/237676
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#Korea marching in to rock version of “Arirang,” a traditional Korean folk song that all Koreans know & love. “Arirang” was written about Koreans separated because of Japanese colonization (at least that’s what I learned in #NorthKorea) #Pyeongchan2018 #Olympics
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I remember the feeling at 1988 Seoul #Olympics that #Seoul was finally emerging from the ashes of the #KoreanWar. Its big debut on intl stage. 30 years later, as host of Winter Games, South Korea is declaring that it’s firmly a First World country. Proud of you, #SouthKorea.
Kim Jong Un, always following in his grandfather’s footsteps. Checked my Kim Il Sung photo book from #NorthKorea & found these images of the grandfather’s visit to #Vietnam n 1958. The resemblance is always startling. #HanoiSummit
But at what point will Japan decide to defend itself and shoot down a North Korean missile? And what could that trigger?
This is a big concern as North Korea's tests get more ambitious, more aggressive, more successful. And I fear the testing will continue.
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#Japan "did not try to shoot down the missile," says an @nhk_news announcer.
No, I do not know what's going on with #KimJongUn. Very few people outside his circle do. While there is often a kernel of truth in rumors about #NorthKorea, we need to wait for credible sourcing on any reports about his state of health.
#NorthKorea has published #KimJongUn take on what happened in Hanoi. He positions himself as the rational, flexible person in US-DPRK #nuclear negotiations. Essentially says US team came unprepared & disorganized. #KCNA
Interesting: Kim Jong Un is sending the Beyoncé of #NorthKorea to talks with Seoul on having #DPRK’s hottest all-girl band to perform at #PyeongChang2018 #Olympics. As lead of Moranbong band, Hyon Song Wol is no mere pop princess; she’s a political emissary.
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(LEAD) 2 Koreas to hold working-level talks this week on details of art troupe's trip english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2018/01/1
Kim Jong Un, whose family traces its lineage to #SouthKorea. Moon Jae-in, whose family hails from #NorthKorea. #interkoreansummit #남북정상회담
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A seismic moment in the history of the Korean peninsula. Follow live updates here: bbc.in/2JvWitj
On Korea’s 75th Liberation Day, I am remembering my great-great-grandfather Lee In-shik, who turned his home into a secret headquarters for underground independence gatherings in the 1920s during Japan’s colonial rule of Korea. He is pictured here in a c… instagr.am/p/CD6mJz0AI_o/
I’m having flashbacks to Sept. 2008, when KJU’s father, then-leader Kim Jong Il, failed to show up for a military parade marking a major national anniversary. THAT was cause for concern. We put out a news alert. (I was AP’s Korea bureau chief at the time)
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We hounded intel officials, and finally got confirmation from multiple reliable sources that Kim Jong Il had suffered a stroke a few weeks earlier & was in a coma. #NorthKorea kept this quiet for weeks! That's how much of a hold on information the regime has.
Cannot express how surprising it is to see a South Korean plane, with South Korean flag, and #대한민국 boldly displayed, live in #NorthKorea. So many North Koreans didn’t even know that’s the official name of the country they call #남조선 #정상회담
Photo on left highlights growing stature of Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong. Photo on the right illustrates what appears to be a genuine rapport between #SouthKorea's Moon Jae-in and #NorthKorea's Kim Jong Un. #korea
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Replying to @TheBlueHouseKR
이날 문재인 대통령은 통일각에서 김여정 노동당 중앙위원회 제1부부장도 만나 반갑게 인사를 나눴습니다. 정상회담에는 서훈 국정원장과 김영철 북한 통일전선부장이 함께 했습니다.
These launches from #NorthKorea are not helpful but they do what Kim Jong Un wants: draw attention to Pyongyang’s #missile capabilities without overtly challenging .
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(6th LD) N. Korea fires short-range projectiles into East Sea yna.kr/AEN20190504000
Seeing reports that #NorthKorea's foreign minister is holding a news conference in New York at 10 am ET. Very unusual.
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It’s a military anniversary in #NorthKorea on April 25. Not a major milestone year but if #KimJongUn wants to quell rumors about his health, it would be a good occasion to make a public appearance. If he doesn’t, the rumor mill will go into overdrive again. Bracing myself.
#NorthKorea truly is testing the region. Daring US, Japan, South Korea to make a move. Careful coordination among allies required right now,
More #missiles fired over Korea, this time from #SouthKorea as #Seoul practices wiping out #NorthKorea’s #nuclear site.
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(2nd LD) S. Korea holds ballistic missile drill against N. Korea nuke test english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2017/09/0
Have never seen a leader of #NorthKorea respond so directly to US president like this. Here’s top of today’s statement criticizing #Trump.
That moment when Kim Jong Un grabbed & had him walk over the Demarcation Line with him hand in hand. #interkoreansummit #남북정상회담 #dmz
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Replying to @TheBlueHouseKR
김정은 국무위원장의 제안으로 문재인 대통령이 김정은 국무위워장의 손을 잡고 군사분계선을 잠시 넘었습니다. 이것은 예정에 없던 일이었습니다. #남북정상회담 #interkoreansummit
As 1st US journalist accredited to report in #NorthKorea, I went to countless ‘big events.' My #DPRK staff was told to keep me in the dark.
Inside the Kingdom of Kim. In the September issue of esquire.com/news-politics/ #NorthKorea #DPRK #KimJongUn
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I know this from years of negotiating, as a journalist running a news bureau in #Pyongyang, with my North Korean counterparts for access. Every single interaction is a negotiation. #NorthKorea
This is a terrifying rush hour warning for Hokkaido & Aomori residents just as families are getting their children off to school.
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For continuing coverage, follow us here: Japan Warns Residents to Take Shelter as North Korea Launches Missile nytimes.com/2022/10/03/wor
Amazing to be watching Kim Jong Un’s annual New Year’s Day speech live in South Korean TV rn. Used to be I had to watch this on a special feed of North Korean state TV. #NewYear2019 #NorthKorea
I was there in Sydney in 2000 when the two Koreas marched into the Olympics stadium together for the first time, under a "unified Korea" flag, to a standing ovation. It was a powerful moment then. Will marching in together at #PyeongChang2018 usher in a new era of reconciliation?
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(URGENT) Koreas to jointly march under unified Korea flag at Olympics' opening ceremony english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2018/01/1
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Sending his trusted younger sister reveals how determined Kim is to use the #Olympics stage to make a point about inter-Korean relations. But is it about #peace or #propaganda?
Seventy years ago today, North Korea waged a surprise attack on South Korea that instigated a battle for control of the Korean Peninsula that lasted three cruel and crushing years. We call it the “Forgotten War” here in America because it gets less atten… instagr.am/p/CB3w9-Kgin5/
There’s no denying it: With this handshake, #NorthKorea’s #KimJongUn & have made history. Never before have the sitting leaders of the #DRPK & the United States - still technically #KoreanWar foes - held a summit. #SingaporeSummit #TrumpKimSummit
So much idle speculation earlier about why #NorthKorea media carried so little news about upcoming #TrumpKimSummit. Listen: #DPRK's media is old school. News outlets disseminate propaganda, not speculation. When it comes time, it'll be all over state media. P1 of #RodongSinmun.
This is the first time we’re seeing #KimJongUn interact with a foreign leader since he took power in late 2011. I’ve seen him firsthand in closed-door meetings inside #NorthKorea but it’s a jolt to see him interacting on a foreign stage in Beijing.
Confusion, frustration among foreign residents as #SouthKorea institutes strict new covid policies. Many venues ordered to require SKorean vaccine app that doesn’t recognize vaccinations abroad.
An example of how South Korea isn’t quite a truly global, international country yet.
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Questions raised over complex requirements for foreigners jabbed overseas but residents in South Korea to ‘prove’ their status 
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While including the usual threats & pinning blame for Hanoi breakdown on US, Kim does make clear he’s open to negotiation. That means signaling this week from paid off. #Kim got the assurance he needed that #NorthKorea remains priority for #Trump.
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Instructions to leave all devices behind & prepare for multiple security checks usually meant #KimJongUn would be attending
Has slim window of opportunity to change US-#NorthKorea relations closed w/ #missile launch? Watching to see how #Trump handles challenge.
No panic in Seoul yet. South Koreans are used to incendiary rhetoricfrom #NorthKorea. Less sure what to make of wartime rhetoric from #Trump
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I should point out that #NorthKorea never acknowledged father Kim Jong Il's stroke or coma. We got that confirmation from the French doctor who was flown to Pyongyang to treat the ailing leader. Don't expect DPRK to confirm any heart surgery.
HUGE! #Parasite making history AGAIN. First foreign-language film to win Best Picture in ’s 92-year history. #Oscars #SouthKorea #BongJoonHo
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The last time I saw so many staged photos of a leader was in North Korea. twitter.com/DavidNakamura/
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Wrote 2 years ago about the importance of #NorthKorea’s all-female Moranbong Band & what canceling their international debut in Beijing in 2015 said then about #DPRK’s relationship with China. foreignpolicy.com/2015/12/17/nor #propaganda #politics
I can tell you one thing: I bet they’re grinning gleefully in #Pyongyang. #NorthKorea wants recognition from US, good or bad.
To see Trump & Kim shake hands is both stunning & chilling. It's a powerful moment that augers a change in the tense US-#NorthKorea relationship. But it also legitimizes the path Kim took to get here: Testing #nuclear weapons with potential to wreak unimaginable destruction.
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Mr @realDonaldTrump and Mr Kim Jong Un have emerged from their one-on-one chat, and will now head into an expanded bilateral meeting. When asked how the discussion went, Mr Trump said: "Very, very good. Excellent relationship."
#TrumpKimSummit #SingaporeSummit
Trump is beginning to sound like a suitor who doesn’t want to seem overeager because he’s just realizing Kim might not be that into him. “See what happens, whether or not it happens. If it does, that will be great. … And if it doesn't, that's okay too. Whatever it is, it is.”
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So we developed code words for what type of event we were covering so I could prepare properly. #NorthKorea
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(URGENT) N. Korea's missile flew about 500 kilometers: S. Korea's JCS english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2017/05/2
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Could be a busy month for #NorthKorea threats. June 15 is 20th anniversary of 1st inter-Korean summit & joint agreement. June 25 is 70th anniversary of start of Korean War. (And of course, we just quietly let 2nd anniversary of the tremendous Trump-Kim Singapore Summit slip by)
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Kim has been grooming his trusted younger sister to step up as part of #NorthKorea’s new guard. Her role is to help lionize her big brother. Each Kim leader has had a family member in charge of #propaganda.
Live now on #NorthKorea state TV: Pyongyang claims successful launch of #ICBM #missile using Hwasong-14 rocket
This may be my first byline, published in the Korea Times when I was in 4th grade, on the occasion of Hangeul Day in October 9.
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The beauty of hangeul, the Korean alphabet, is that it’s completely phonetic, which allowed ordinary Koreans to read and wri… ift.tt/2VpS6SL
Wouldn’t be the first time #NorthKorea has “cut” the line with South Korea. (Years ago, I asked a North Korean officer at the DMZ whether they really “cut” the line, and he laughed and said no. They just don’t answer the phone)
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(URGENT) N. Korea to cut off all inter-Korea communication lines at noon yna.kr/AEN20200609000
It's begun. #NorthKorea's KimJongUn is on his way to the #DMZ for a #summit with #SouthKorea's #KCNA
When you stage a photo of #Pyongyang's new conveyer-belt #sushi restaurant but forget to put out the sushi.
Is anyone else perturbed by #Trump’s imperialist approach in dealing with Asia? So offensive & outdated.
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South Korea is finding, as I have told them, that their talk of appeasement with North Korea will not work, they only understand one thing!
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It's been clear to me from the start that #KimJongUn would say enough of the right words to get that historic summit in Singapore, and then turn around and demand that the United States denuclearize before #NorthKorea gives up its #nuclear weapons. Long road ahead.
Every Korean family has a heartbreaking story of division, including mine. I’d like to see #Pyongyang stop using the separations for political purpose - and allow more families to reunite before it’s too late. #KoreanWar #이산가족
"Blew up launch sites"?! Unless the president knows something we don't know, #NorthKorea blew up a #nuclear test site (in May) but not a #missile launch site. , are you sure you got that right?
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Chuck Schumer said “the Summit was what the Texans call all cattle and no hat.” Thank you Chuck, but are you sure you got that right? No more nuclear testing or rockets flying all over the place, blew up launch sites. Hostages already back, hero remains coming home & much more!
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And while Kim’s end-of-year deadline may seem like like a threat, it’s notably transparent for #NorthKorea. It’s a balance between showing his people #DPRK remains tough while leaving room for negotiation.
Intl media are picking up unconfirmed report that says #NorthKorea's #KimJongUn underwent heart surgery. May well be true but we need more concrete confirmation from intel, official sources. reut.rs/3cyq9j3
It's a little past 7 am in #Seoul (and just past 6:30 am in #Pyongyang, which declared its own, separate timezone a few years ago), and the media frenzy is already well under way. The official feed: koreasummit.kr #interKoreansummit #NorthKorea #SouthKorea #DMZ
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Replying to @jonfranks @newsjean and @yonhaptweet
Try these links to watch the #interkoreansummit live: youtube.com/watch?v=c65T7t or koreasummit.kr #NorthKorea #SouthKorea
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What this highlights is the challenge of reporting on #NorthKorea when we’re not on the ground. North Korea has closed its borders due to #coronavirus & instituted strict quarantines, meaning there are fewer foreigners than usual in Pyongyang. Not sure when we'll get clarity.
My first tweet using #Koryolink's new mobile #Internet service. Hello world from comms center in #Pyongyang.
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How #NorthKorea & the US will close the gap on what concessions Washington will offer in exchange for #nuclear dismantlement remains a question - and obstacle. This is a tough negotiation, and I hope the substance will be working out BEFORE any third summit.
Kim Jong Nam told TV Asahi in 2010 that he opposed transfer of power to half-brother Kim Jong Un. #NorthKorea
No more of those flashy summits that only succeeded in giving Kim Jong Un “international recognition. Legitimacy”
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In order to meet Kim Jong Un Biden says the North Korean leader would have to commit to discussions about his nuclear arsenal. He also says that he would have @SecBlinken & others lay out an outline of how the meeting would proceed.
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Absolutely amazing to hear #KimJongUn make comments to press before #SingaporeSummit #TrumpKimSummit. In all my years covering him live in #Pyongyang, I never saw him give comments to the foreign press.
Amid all the madness on #Korea, I forgot to announce that I've relocated to Washington, DC, to lead 's as program director. Excited for this new opportunity! #NorthKorea #SouthKorea #Korea @AsiaProgam
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Just Announced: “Award-Winning Reporter Jean Lee to Lead Wilson Center’s Korea Studies” buff.ly/2Ep5IDZ @newsjean @Korea_Center
Things aren't going so well with Trump so Kim Jong Un is thinking now’s a good time to shift to Plan B: reinforcing ties with #Russia. My thoughts for as Kim prepares to get back on his green train to shore up support from an old friend
Politics aside, opening ceremony of #Pyeongchang2018 #Olympics has been a testament to how much #SouthKorea has grown since #Seoul hosted Summer Games in 1988. This high-voltage, post-modern ceremony shows off #SouthKorea’s dominance in tech.
Not at all surprising. The North Koreans are tough negotiators, and they do not give anything up for free. Everything is give or take for them; negotiations are transactional. #NorthKorea
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North Korea calls U.S. attitude toward talks 'regrettable,' rejecting Pompeo's claim meetings were 'productive' washingtonpost.com/world/national
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But by threatening to "destroy” #NorthKorea, #Trump is giving KJU just what he needs to keep building #nuclear arsenal: proof of US threat.
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Multiple #nuclear #missile test later, #NorthKorea’s illicit weapons program is much more sophisticated. #DPRK wants #media to show it off.
Interesting. We don't often get the North Korean version of events so quickly. And it differs from the U.S. version. The bromance is turning into a he said/she said. #TrumpKimSummit
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“If the U.S. removes partial sanctions… we will permanently and completely dismantle… Nyongbyon… in the presence of U.S. experts and by the joint work of technicians of both countries," says #DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho @YTN24
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#NorthKorea did not launch #rocket (or #missile) that day. But a #rocket launch a few days later, on this day in 2012, ended in failure.
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You cannot imagine how proud this is going to make the North Koreans. They know their country is small & impoverished. But to have their leader sit down with the U.S. president — that for them is legitimacy & it will earn Kim major points back home. #SingaporeSummit
Thank you, fellow Americans, for voting! After feeling so demoralized about the state of our nation, this has been such a reassuring show of the power of democracy. And a great lesson to the next generation. Let’s not screw this up. Forza, America! #USElection2020
My dapper great-grandfather at the Chosun Hotel in Seoul about 100 years ago.
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If you look closely, you’ll recognize this setting as the modern-day Westin Chosun Hotel.
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I know so little about him except that he looks just like his son, my maternal gra… instagr.am/p/CL-lMwOgYB0/
I’m not ducking for cover quite yet. This is #NorthKorea using #Trump’s threats to justify future provocations as ‘defensive' measures.
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By "we," I mean those of us on Twitter. But officials in South Korea, China, Japan, Russia & the US better be working overtime to figure out what's going on & review their contingency plans.
A mind-boggling show of normalcy by the North Korean leader and First Lady. What a propaganda coup for Pyongyang.
Note: Two former US presidents have visited #NorthKorea: Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, both as private citizens after leaving office. (Have I missed anyone?) is first sitting president to step onto NK territory.
#NorthKorea has formally changed the day it celebrates the creation of the Korean People's Army from April 25 to Feb. 8, and is planning a #military parade to celebrate. How convenient: It's also the day before the opening of #PyeongChang2018 #Olympics. #KPA #DPRK #KCNA
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This is a moment that will be used over and over in #NorthKorea’s #propaganda as 'proof' that the American president defers to the North Korean military. It will be treated as a military victory by the North Koreans. #TrumpKimSummit
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Documentary shows Trump saluting North Korean general wapo.st/2LQgJCk
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And to clarify, the photo that accompanies the news article about #KimJongUn's reappearance at a fertilizer plant looks to be from a previous site visit in January - not from May 1. #NorthKorea.
So, I guess that propaganda video showed the North Koreans last week in Singapore did not impress. Headline today from #NorthKorea’s main newspaper, #RodongSinmun: “Capitalism Has No Future.”
A few viewers have asked what I have on the cabinet behind me: books about North Korean art, dogs & cooking, #KimIlSung’s memoirs & #KimJongUn’s official biographies. Also, a tiny replica of #JucheTower.
