Kim Jong-un Criticized for Failing to Bring Up Human Rights with Trump
PYONGYANG – Kim Jong-un is facing withering criticism for his failure to bring up the appalling human rights record of US President Donald Trump, during their meeting in Singapore last week.
The North Korean Dictator met with President Trump on June 12th amid much pomp and hype.
The two were to discuss de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula as well as reducing the US military presence in the area.
“How he didn’t bring up them tearing families apart is truly disgusting,” said Choeag-ui Adeul, a senior North Korea Analyst at the Shin Hyung Institute of Troubled States.
“You don’t go meeting with a corrupt authoritarian like that, who has a cult of personality behind him, who has literal camps full of persecuted political groups, and not say to him, ‘hey, Donald, the world has had enough of your crimes against humanity!’” said Mr. Adeul.
President Trump has been criticized by domestic dissidents, major publications and the UN Human Rights Council for his policy of separating children from parents among asylum-seekers at the US border with Mexico.
Kim Jong-un’s office defended his inaction as “keeping focus with a man who has none,” referring to the efforts to denuclearize the peninsula and end joint US-South Korean military drills.
“There was no time to talk human rights; he spent almost the whole two hours talking about his Electoral College victory,” said the North Korean government in a statement to their state-run news agency KCNA.
“We had to explain, Donald, bypassing the popular vote is kind of our thing, too. But that dude just won’t listen to reason.”
Moon Jae-in contributed to this report. He can be reached at [email protected]
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