North Korea’s state media reported United States President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Wednesday, offering no commentary on his presidency but accusing the U.S. of committing atrocities during the 1950-53 Korean War.
The Rodong Sinmun, North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party mouthpiece, published a brief article saying Trump was elected as the 47th president in a November election and an inauguration ceremony was held in Washington on Monday.
It did not elaborate and include any commentary on Trump or U.S. affairs, though the newspaper carried a photo of young students receiving propaganda education about the Korean War and “soaring in rage at the atrocities committed by the enemy, the U.S.”
Relations During First Term
Trump held unprecedented summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his first term and has touted their personal rapport.
Their first meeting took place in Singapore in June 2018, marking the first-ever summit between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader.
Trump and Kim met again in Hanoi in 2019, and later in the demilitarised zone (DMZ) in 2019 as well.
Trump emphasised the personal rapport he developed with Kim, highlighting their direct communication and mutual respect, which he believed could pave the way for lasting peace and denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula.
Despite the high-profile meetings, progress on substantive issues, particularly North Korea’s denuclearisation, remained limited.
Trump’s approach to diplomacy, based on personal diplomacy and engagement, received both praise for its boldness and criticism for its lack of tangible results. Nonetheless, the summits marked a significant shift in U.S.-North Korea relations.
Missile Tests
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told lawmakers last week that Pyongyang’s recent missile tests were partly aimed at “showing off its U.S. deterrent assets and drawing Trump’s attention” after vowing “the toughest anti-U.S. counteraction” at a key year-end policy meeting last month.
South Korean defence ministry said on Tuesday the denuclearisation of North Korea must continue to be the goal necessary for lasting global peace, after reports that U.S. President Donald Trump had called Pyongyang “a nuclear power.”
(With inputs from Reuters)
