President Moon Jae-in’s special envoy and National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, left, whispers to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae [Korea Times]
Here is interesting anecdote if true from a comment made by a ROK top presidential aide to Kim Jong-un:
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is a heavy smoker. But in a country where making a suggestion to the young dictator of anything against his will is considered a blasphemy that deserves heavy punishment, nobody would put one’s life at risk to ask him to quit smoking. This Dec. 12, 2012 file photo shows Kim puffing a cigarette at the satellite control center in Pyongyang. / Korea Times file
Top presidential aide Chung Eui-yong advised North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to stop smoking during a dinner Kim hosted for Chung visiting Pyongyang as President Moon Jae-in’s top envoy early last month.
Chung’s advice made the atmosphere at the head table in the banquet tense at least for a moment when the face of Kim Yong-chul, the North’s top intelligence officer, hardened in displeasure by Chung’s uncalled-for action.
It was Ri Sol-ju, the North’s first lady, who cheerfully clapped her hands and said, “He doesn’t listen when I ask him to quit smoking.” That defused the tension. The young leader himself did not mind Chung’s behavior.
Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reported this account recently, quoting knowledgeable sources, about what happened at the March 5 banquet. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link, but it was a good catch by Ri Sol-ju to break the tension with her comment. The way I look at it let Kim Jong-un smoke as well as eat away as much as he wants. His poor health may be what ultimately drives him out of power.
This photo provided by South Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (third from L) posing for a group picture with special envoys of South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang on March 5, 2018. They are (from L) Yun Kun-young, a Cheong Wa Dae official in charge of a policy monitoring office, Chung Eui-yong, chief of the National Security Office, Kim, Suh Hoon, head of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung and Kim Sang-gyun, a senior NIS director. (Yonhap)
The THAAD battery already has what is called an initial operational capability, so this doesn’t stop the deployment of the THAAD battery as claimed. All this announcement of an environmental assessment means is that the four additional launchers cannot be installed. This ultimately means less THAAD interceptors to defend the country to appease those against the deployment:
The government will conduct a full-scale environmental study on the U.S. military’s deployment of a controversial antimissile battery in Korea, a senior security adviser to President Moon Jae-in said Thursday, stressing that the probe will delay the installment of the battery.
Chung Eui-yong, head of the National Security Office of the Blue House, addressed the latest controversy surrounding the U.S. deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or Thaad system. An investigation of top security officials from the previous administration is currently ongoing to find out if they intentionally withheld from the Moon government information on the delivery of four additional launchers for the system.
“In order to conduct a more thorough environmental-impact study, I think [the deployment] may take more time than originally planned,” Chung said. “But I cannot predict how long the environmental study will take.”
Chung made the remark as he arrived in Washington to meet with senior U.S. officials to prepare for the upcoming summit between Moon and U.S. President Donald Trump. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
You can read more at the link, but does anyone else find it interesting that a one year environmental assessment needs to be done on a golf course that was dug into the top of the mountain whatever natural vegetation and wildlife there has already been developed over? Are they going to assess the potential damage the launcher back blast area will have on the putting greens before it can be installed?
