Trump Congratulates Kim Jong-un on North Korea's Election as WHO Board Member

Republicans Criticize "Not the Way to Take Back the Country from Biden"

When North Korea was elected as a new member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board, former U.S. President Donald Trump sparked controversy by posting a congratulatory message to North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un on his social media.

Photo by AFP [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 3rd (local time), former President Trump posted an article about North Korea's election to the WHO Executive Board on his social media platform Truth Social, along with the message "Congratulations to Kim Jung Un!"

North Korea was elected as a new Executive Board member at the 76th WHO meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland, on the 26th (local time).

This drew criticism even within the Republican Party, with some saying it was an inappropriate act for a leading candidate in the 2024 presidential race.

Brian Kemp, Governor of Georgia and fellow Republican, posted a screenshot of Trump's post on Twitter that day, sharply stating, "Taking our country back from Joe Biden should not start with congratulating the murderous dictator of North Korea."

A message from former U.S. President Donald Trump congratulating North Korea on its election as a member of the World Health Organization's Executive Board. Photo by SNS capture

There was also an outpouring of criticism regarding North Korea's election to the WHO Executive Board. Nikki Haley, who declared her candidacy for the Republican presidential primary, wrote on Twitter the same day, "It is completely laughable that Kim Jong Un, who starves his own people, is playing a leading role at the WHO."

During his tenure, former President Trump was close enough to Kim Jong Un to hold three summits, including the historic first North Korea-U.S. summit on June 12, 2018, in Singapore.

He also repeatedly displayed intimacy by referring to Kim Jong Un as someone he had "fallen in love" with.