 | | U.S. President Donald Trump and Melania Trump arrive on Air Force One at Melsbroek Air Base in Brussels, Belgium, Tuesday. AP-Yonhap |
By Oh Young-jin
So Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo did try to give a copy of a CD containing Elton John's "Rocket Man" to Kim Jong-un, North Korea's leader.
The U.S. President has admitted that his secretary of state had it on his orders during his Pyongyang visit but Pompeo didn't have a chance to give it to Kim because the North Korean refused to meet him.
"They didn't give it, I have it for him, they didn't give it, but it will be given at a certain time," Trump told reporters at the White House.
His admission about the gift has settled much of the brouhaha after the Chosun Ilbo report of it before Pompeo's visit.
But some loose ends remain.
First, a CD, whatever its contents, will most likely be no good gift for Kim. Contraband CDs containing K-pop and other features of South Korea's upscale life have long been smuggled into the North, helping North Koreans know about life outside the pariah state and get disillusioned about the miserable life they have there.
North Korean defectors and North Korean human rights advocates have been sending balloons containing CDs and dollar notes to the North. No surprise if CDs feel like a thorn in Kim's side.
Second, Kim may like oldies but John's song dates back to the early 1970s. Kim is in his mid-30. So Trump, 72, may like the song but Kim likely does not. That is called the generation gap.
Third, Trump called Kim "little rocket man" in derision so sending the song as a gift is not just a bad joke but juvenile. The Western sense of humor should be restrained in dealing with the North.
So Trump said he has the CD with him and plans to give it to Kim "at a certain time."
Does that mean he plans to meet Kim soon?
Then, he would better off leave the John CD at home. The "little gift" he said he has for Kim should be something Kim likes like a basketball signed by some NBA players other than Dennis Rodman.
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