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.
"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."
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.
Alarming news from
@brianstelter
@jmhansler
@CNN
: "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"
#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
#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
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.
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.
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)
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…
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
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
@realDonaldTrump
.
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.
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
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?
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…
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.
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
@TheBlueHouseENG
@TheWhiteHouse
paid off.
#Kim
got the assurance he needed that
#NorthKorea
remains priority for
#Trump
.
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.
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.
#propaganda
#politics
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.
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.”
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)
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
.
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)
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.
.
The beauty of hangeul, the Korean alphabet, is that it’s completely phonetic, which allowed ordinary Koreans to read and wri…
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
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.
"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.
@realDonaldTrump
, are you sure you got that right?
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!
Intl media are picking up unconfirmed
@The_Daily_NK
report that says
#NorthKorea
's
#KimJongUn
underwent heart surgery. May well be true but we need more concrete confirmation from intel, official sources.
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.
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.
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.
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
@TheWilsonCenter
as Kim prepares to get back on his green train to shore up support from an old friend
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
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
“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
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
My dapper great-grandfather at the Chosun Hotel in Seoul about 100 years ago.
.
If you look closely, you’ll recognize this setting as the modern-day Westin Chosun Hotel.
.
I know so little about him except that he looks just like his son, my maternal gra…
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
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.
Note: Two former US presidents have visited
#NorthKorea
: Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, both as private citizens after leaving office. (Have I missed anyone?)
@realDonaldTrump
is first sitting president to step onto NK territory.
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
@realDonaldTrump
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
.