Biden-Trump First TV Debate
In the first TV debate held on the 27th (local time) between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, who will face off in the upcoming U.S. presidential election this November, topics related to the Korean Peninsula such as Korea, Samsung, and North Korea were brought up. During their mutual criticisms, the name of Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, was mentioned. They also referred to Korea while engaging in a heated discussion over economic and security issues.
During the debate held at CNN studios in Atlanta, Georgia, President Biden rebutted former President Trump's claim that the U.S. has weakened since Biden took office, bringing up the name "Kim Jong-un" first. Biden stated, "We are the most powerful country in the world. We are a country that keeps our promises, and everyone, including all our allies, trusts us." He continued, "Those who coddle up to people like Kim Jong-un, to whom he (Trump) wrote love letters, and Putin, dare not harm us."
In response, former President Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, repeated his claim that America is declining due to Biden's weak leadership. He said, "We have come very close to World War III, and he (Biden) is pushing us into war," adding, "Xi Jinping, Chairman of China, Kim Jong-un of North Korea, and Putin (President of Russia) all neither respect nor fear him (Biden). They do nothing with this gentleman, and he will push us into World War III."
Aside from mentioning Chairman Kim Jong-un, the North Korea issue was not extensively discussed during this debate.
President Biden also mentioned Korea once each in the context of the economy and security. When the moderator asked Biden about concerns over his health due to his age, Biden cited his visit to Korea as an example in his defense. He emphasized his achievements in job creation, saying, "I went to Korea. I persuaded Samsung Electronics to invest billions of dollars here in the United States."
While criticizing former President Trump's dismissive attitude toward alliances and his passive stance on supporting Ukraine, Biden also brought up Korea. He said, "That person doesn’t even know what he’s talking about," and added, "I got 50 countries, including Korea and Japan, to support Ukraine because these countries understand that this turmoil poses a serious threat to the entire world."
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