[Correspondent Diary] Kim Jong-un Interrupts Trump Speech with Tears

Tears over New ICBM... Trump’s First Public Event After COVID-19 Infection Also Overshadowed

Chairman Kim Jong-un, dressed in a gray suit, is seen wiping away tears after removing his glasses, appearing emotional as he urged overcoming disasters during his speech.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] On the 10th, two people took off their masks and appeared before the public. Whether intentional or not, the two chose the same day as if by coincidence.

The two are Donald Trump, President of the United States, and Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea. It is unusual for the two to appear publicly on the same day.

Having met three times and exchanged dozens of letters, the two have a relationship that President Trump described as "loving each other." However, on this rare occasion, the two did not mention each other at all. Rather, they seemed to deliberately avoid each other.

Chairman Kim often disappeared suddenly, sparking rumors about his health each time, but this time he returned looking healthy. Through letters and messages, Kim had expressed concern for President Trump's health, but on this day he avoided showing affection toward Trump. This was unlike just a few days ago when he wished for Trump's recovery from COVID-19.

Although Chairman Kim did not mention the United States or President Trump by name, he revealed new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), leaving a sign not to forget him.

President Trump is currently overwhelmed. He cannot afford to pay attention to North Korea. With the presidential election just around the corner, his TV debates were not going well, and his COVID-19 infection damaged his image.

After insisting on leaving the hospital just three days after admission, nothing went as planned. On the 10th, the fifth day after his discharge, President Trump finally appeared before the public. He needed to attract attention, but unfortunately, Chairman Kim also appeared publicly and spoke, which deflated the spotlight. In fact, with Chairman Kim even shedding tears, the attention shifted away from Trump to Kim.

President Trump took off his mask and said, "I feel good," as he gave a speech, but inwardly he might have felt regret.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

This was not the first time Chairman Kim showed tears. In 2018, before the first North Korea-U.S. summit, he was seen shedding tears publicly. According to North Korean media, the message behind those tears was: "He has been striving to realize a strong state but is shedding tears due to frustration over the slow progress of reforms."

Perhaps this was the last chance for the two to express affection for each other. With President Trump's reelection prospects extremely uncertain, the chances of the two meeting again are rapidly decreasing. The relationship between North Korea and the United States may return to a tense state.

Perhaps Chairman Kim's tears were a farewell to President Trump. The meaning behind his tears is becoming even more intriguing.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.