Trump’s joke on Kim Jong-un or the other way around? By Oh Young-jin 

North Korean military salute the motorcade carrying U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
as it makes its way to the Park Hwa Guest House in Pyongyang on July 6. AP

So a CD of “Rocket Man” by Elton John was not delivered to Kim Jong-un. Or was it?

Or did it mean U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo carried the gift but failed to give it to the North Korean leader in Pyongyang?

The U.S. State Department confirmed that the CD was not given to Kim, but Trump’s personal letter was. But according to the Washington Post, the department did not say whether or not Pompeo brought the gift to Pyongyang in the first place.

It is still possible that Pompeo had it with him, but did not give it to Kim because he did not get a chance to meet the North Korean leader.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pauses while speaking to the media in Pyongyang following two days of meetings with Kim Yong-chol, a North Korean senior ruling party official and former intelligence chief. AP

After all, Pompeo was given the cold shoulder by his host, who called the visit “regretful” right after Pompeo’s departure.

The affair was triggered by a report in the vernacular Chosun Ilbo just before Pompeo’s departure.

The paper cited an unnamed diplomatic source and the story went viral.

This is because Trump’s personality defies conventional wisdom. During a verbal slugfest Trump derided Kim as “little rocket man” after the North held a series of missile tests. In return, Kim called Trump a “dotard.”

The Chosun story claimed Trump had asked Kim whether he had heard about the Elton John song, during their June 12 summit, and that Kim said he had not.

Service staff wait for U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Kim Yong Chol for lunch at the Park Hwa Guest House in Pyongyang. AP

If the story had been true, the chance would be that Kim would feel offended by such a gift. Remember the North Korea-U.S. cyber war in 2014 when Sony Pictures was releasing its comedy, “The Interview,” about an attempt to assassinate Kim. Sony drastically reduced the number of screens for its release because the North took offense at it.

In a broader context, the case might offer a strong hint to Trump and Pompeo about how to handle the North. “Don’t try a western joke on the North Koreans, especially on their leader, because they often don’t appreciate it.”

They sometimes might laugh, but just because it is Asian etiquette to be nice to the guest.

Meanwhile, the Chosun article still remains on its website.

The paper would keep it there unless Kim Jong-un confirms that he did not receive the gift, which is unlikely to happen.

Soure:.koreatimes.co.kr