The Real Legacy of The Olympics - The Kim Trump Summit

When Trump and Kim meet, if only the Doctor were in the room with them... @moonriver365 https://t.co/6XSWHyxdt7

— Ken Frost (@ken_frost) March 9, 2018

For once, an Olympic Games have actually given rise to a legacy that actually might be worth something. Namely the forthcoming Kim Trump summit, brokered by Moon and emanating from the goodwill between North and South Korea generated by the recent Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Let us trust that some good will come of the meeting, pencilled in for May!

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The Peace Games Are Over

With yesterday's closing ceremony, the Peace Games are officially over.

To his credit, President Moon is doing his best to act as a bridge between the USA and North Korea in the hope that they will both lower their "negotiation thresholds".

Good luck!

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USA Displeased With Closing Ceremony Guest List

'US in Close Consultation with South Korea on Blacklisted North Korean Official's Visit' https://t.co/S2DwetZ74M pic.twitter.com/tBlaErKIZB

— NorthKoreaRealTime (@BuckTurgidson79) February 23, 2018

Displeased or not, they should use this as an opportunity to persuade him to defect.

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The Closing Ceremony

North Korean closing Olympics delegation includes man blamed for deadly sinking https://t.co/WUxOustBvY

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) February 22, 2018

The closing ceremony will take place on the 25th. In view of the fact that Pence sabotaged the meeting that he had agreed to with the North Koreans when he attended the opening ceremony, don't expect Ivanka to meet with any North Koreans.

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Olympic Dreams Are Always Crushed

Forget tourism. Pyeongchang's legacy probably will be debt and anger. @APKlug @KimTonghyung https://t.co/0HX5LuhVKT

— The Associated Press (@AP) February 20, 2018

The true legacies of all Olympic Games are debt, rotting infrastructure and contractors/politicians bloated from backhanders!

The Pyeongchang Olympics has the add frisson of the forthcoming dashed hopes of peace and reconciliation.

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North Korean Athletes Evading Kim's Sex Ban

Korea Times subtly pairs story about increased Tinder usage at the Pyeongchang Olympics with photo of condoms, along with this intriguing sentence: "N. Korean athletes are reportedly facing a sex ban imposed by leader Kim Jong-un."https://t.co/Xx2PyeqmHY

— Jonathan Cheng (@JChengWSJ) February 19, 2018

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South Korea To Pay North's Hotel Bills

You know those North Korean cheering squads? South Korea is going to pay their hotel and food bills in the South. https://t.co/7CVWXP2ioN pic.twitter.com/xASttPaeoz

— Anna Fifield (@annafifield) February 14, 2018

I raised this issue on this site in January.

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Happy Homecoming For The Kims - Beware The Hubris Cocktail!

Official portrait of Kim Jong-un greeting the North Korean Olympic delegation, arm-in-arm with Kim Yong-nam and Kim Yo-jong. pic.twitter.com/EA2gGtjV3P

— Alistair Coleman (@alistaircoleman) February 12, 2018

Little sister Kim and the Olympic delegation have returned home to a warm welcome from Big Brother Kim, confident in the knowledge that this is (thusfar) a job well done.

Not only did they have the mainstream media giving them front page coverage (there's no such thing as bad publicity), they received an added bonus of Pence acting as a badly behaved and ill mannered guest towards his ROK hosts. as such, it is hardly surprising that Kim issued a personal thank you to ROK for hosting the delegation (thus drawing further attention to Pence's truculent behaviour and ill mannered demeanour).

Needless to say this "thaw" will not last, at some stage Kim will test something that will start the war clock ticking again. However, in the very short term, Kim can be confident that he has outmanoeuvred and outplayed the USA.

Hubris of course is a very dangerous cocktail!

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Oops!

Oh dear. Japan’s Asahi used the hashtag “Pyongyang2018” on a story about the Pyeongchang Olympics. https://t.co/B0sbVmUJ3e

— Anna Fifield (@annafifield) February 13, 2018

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We All Love a Parade!

Not to be outdone by the French Bastille Day Parade and Kim's forthcoming pre Olympics parade in Pyongyang tomorrow, President Trump (having decreed that it is treasonous not to applaud the President) has told the Pentagon to put forward plans for a military parade in Washington at some future date.

As the old song goes.."I love a parade..", well certainly the despots do!

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Sanctions? What Sanctions?

North Korea asks South Korea to offer fuel for ship that carried art troupe https://t.co/6a3yrNySjH pic.twitter.com/7VfsV9BVy6

— NorthKoreaRealTime (@BuckTurgidson79) February 7, 2018

How ironic, given that Pence is claiming that The United States of America will soon unveil the toughest and most aggressive round of economic sanctions on North Korea EVER!

The United States of America will soon unveil the toughest and most aggressive round of economic sanctions on North Korea EVER – and we will continue to isolate North Korea until it ABANDONS its nuclear and ballistic missile programs once and for all. #VPinASIA pic.twitter.com/djVd46dJlC

— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) February 7, 2018

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Little Sister Is Watching You

BREAKING: North Korea intends to send Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, alongside Choi Hui and Ri Son Gwon to S.Korea for Winter Olympics.

Some heavily sanctioned figures to send.

Game on to South Korea: will they play ball?

And if not, will this scupper NK participation?

— Chad O'Carroll (@chadocl) February 7, 2018

Factoid: she is sanctioned for human rights violations.

Let's see if this gets approved then!



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Foreigners Allowed To Wave North Korean Flags

At last years inter-Korean ice hockey match, violence broke out as undercover South Korean security officials accosted foreigners waving handkerchief-sized DPRK flags.

Under Moon Jae-in, foreigners will be able to wave on the North Korean team: https://t.co/rQNXYeF693 pic.twitter.com/0kpqsZvp55

— Chad O'Carroll (@chadocl) February 1, 2018

Whilst the foreigners will be allowed to wave North Korean flags, South Koreans won't be allowed to wave them. Theoretically, South Korean security services will be less likely to beat people up.

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North Korea Never Misses an Opportunity To Miss an Opportunity

North Korea has cancelled a joint cultural performance with South Korea scheduled for Feb. 4 blaming South Korean media for encouraging “insulting” public sentiment regarding the North.

Reuters reports that the North said it had no choice but to call off the performance, which was to be held in the North Korean territory of Mount Kumgang, as South Korean media continued to insult what Pyongyang called “sincere” measures regarding the Winter Olympics Seoul will host next month. 

Whilst it is likely that the main reason for cancellation is the North's infamous "prickliness", another reason may also be the flu outbreak that is raging in the North. It's health service will be unable to cope with a large scale outbreak, and during previous occasions of disease in AP eg SARS the North has sometimes shut its borders.

That being said, whatever the real reason of cancellation, the old adage:

"North Korea never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity"

springs to mind!

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Naughty Reuters Ruins Olympic Flame Test

Korea Times front page: Reuters ruined the opening ceremony fun! pic.twitter.com/Mf6PltbNka

— Sam Kim (@samkimasia) January 30, 2018

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North Koreans Won't Get Galaxy Note 8 - Sanctions Bite?

NK News reports that North Korean athletes involved in the upcoming Pyeongchang Olympics will not receive a free Samsung Galaxy Note 8 for their participation.

The smartphone, which is being given to all other participants in the games, will not be gifted to the athletes to avoid violating international sanctions against Pyongyang, the Ministry of Unification said.

There are of course other sanctions issues that are yet to be clarified, eg the North Korean ski resort where South Koreans will train seemingly has equipment that was imported in violation of sanctions. Additionally, who will be paying for the North Korean delegation (several hundred people) when they are in the South?


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Kim is Out of Cash

Two Chinese sources with connections to North Korea’s ruling elite told RFA’s Korean Service Wednesday that Kim—now in his seventh year of leading the North—has nearly exhausted the slush fund he inherited from his predecessor and no longer has enough money to govern the country.

— Strategic Sentinel (@StratSentinel) January 26, 2018

It would seem that Kim may well have run out of cash.

It is not surprising that he has run out of cash, as attempting to push for economic growth and increase military expenditure at the same time is simply not possible in an economy as weak and pathetic as North Korea. The Soviet Union was brought to its knees by trying to achieve those two goals.

That being the case that Kim has run out of cash, the sudden enthusiasm for the Olympics is doubtless geared to finding ways and means to raise more cash.

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Pence Warns of Olympics Highjack

Mike Pence, via spokesman: N. Korea, "master manipulators" and a "murderous state," is trying to "hijack" the Pyeongchang Olympics with the "charade" of "two weeks of propaganda."https://t.co/brMywcO3IQ

— Jonathan Cheng (@JChengWSJ) January 26, 2018

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All Smiles at The Olympics

More photos of the inter-Korean women's ice hockey team getting along swimmingly, courtesy of the Ministry of Unification. pic.twitter.com/xLihbbbZxD

— Jonathan Cheng (@JChengWSJ) January 26, 2018

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North Korean Women's Ice Hockey Team Arrives

North Korea’s women’s ice hockey team has arrived in South Korea. 15 members of North Korea’s national women’s ice hockey team - including 12 players, 1 coach & 2 support personnel - will compete alongside South Korean counterparts in the 2018 Pyeonchang Winter Olympics.

— Will Ripley (@willripleyCNN) January 25, 2018

North Korea's female ice hockey team uses Bauer. But current UN and U.S. sanctions make it illegal for it to import sports equipment, though, especially from the U.S. – yep, that's where we are with sanctions and sports. pic.twitter.com/sNr8PmPXr1

— Chad O'Carroll (@chadocl) January 25, 2018

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