Response to Trump Win from North Korea’s Official State Outlets Hints Something’s Changed Since 2016
North Korea’s state media has yet to comment on Donald Trump’s recent presidential election victory, raising eyebrows given their previous coverage patterns. Reports from South Korean sources indicate that as of Thursday morning, outlets like Rodong Sinmun and the Korean Central News Agency had not acknowledged the U.S. election results. Historical context shows that North Korean media took 11 days to report on Trump’s win in 2016, leading officials to speculate about a similar delay this time.
The silence from Pyongyang is curious, especially considering Trump’s history of fiery rhetoric toward North Korea, which included labeling Kim Jong-un as “Little Rocket Man” and affirming his own nuclear capabilities on social media. Trump’s administration saw him engage directly with Kim during several summits aimed at denuclearization, yet recently, tensions have resurface with North Korea ramping up missile tests prior to the election.
In the wake of Trump’s departure from office, North Korea has forged stronger ties with Russia and has resumed its missile testing activities. The lack of response from North Korea may indicate apprehension about Trump’s potential return to power, reflecting an uncertain future for diplomatic relations between the United States and the isolated nation.
North Korea’s official state news agency has made no mention of Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election last week.
“As of Thursday morning, North Korean media outlets Rodong Sinmun and Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) had no mention of the Nov. 5 U.S. election outcome,” Seoul-based Korea JoongAng Daily reported.
“We won’t prejudge but will monitor the situation closely, as North Korea has a history of delaying reporting on U.S. election results,” a South Korean Unification Ministry official told reporters Thursday, the news outlet added.
JoongAng Daily pointed out that North Korean media took 11 days to report Trump’s win in 2016.
But a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then, so it seems odd, given the 45th president’s focus on bringing North Korea to heel during his first term, that there would be silence. One would expect at least some bellicose statement from Pyongyang.
Early in his administration, Trump referred to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as “Little Rocket Man.”
Then in 2018, the 45th president famously tweeted, “North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the ‘Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.’ Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!”
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018
Trump would go on to meet with Kim in Singapore in June of that year.
The two met again in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February 2019, but Trump cut the summit short when no progress was being made in nuclear weapons talks, CNN reported.
However, in June 2019, Trump crossed the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea, a first for a U.S. president, and met for a third time with Kim.
US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shake hands at the demilitarized zone (DMZ), before both leaders step into North Korea https://t.co/nQM59lmTfV pic.twitter.com/MWaoPmjcH5
— CNN (@CNN) June 30, 2019
The result of what might be called Trump’s “good cop / bad cop” approach was that North Korea did not test long-range missiles from November 2017 until the end of the Trump presidency, according to Reuters.
In the lead-up to last week’s election, Kim was back to his old saber-rattling ways.
The Associated Press reported on Nov. 1 that North Korea boasted that it had just test-launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile calling it the “world’s strongest.”
“North Korean leader Kim Jong Un also ordered a series of ballistic missile tests in the lead-up to this month’s U.S. election and is claiming progress on efforts to build the capability to strike the U.S. mainland,” the AP said.
Since Trump left office, North Korea has forged a much closer relationship with Russia, to the point of deploying 12,000 troops recently to fight in Ukraine.
Pyongyang is also supplying Russia with suicide drones and other munitions.
The New York Times reported in March 2017, shortly after Trump had been sworn in, that outgoing President Barack Obama had warned him North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs would be the most urgent national security problem he would face.
Trump faced the issue head-on and forced Kim to back off.
North Korea’s reticence to report on the U.S. presidential election results may be a reflection that the hermit kingdom is not looking forward to the return of Trump.
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