Unification Minister Kim Young-ho: "The reason why Kim Jong-un's face is as red as a Hongdangmu is..."

Minister Kim Appears on KBS 'Sunday Diagnosis Live'
"North Korea-US Summit Unlikely to Be Easy"
"Chairman Kim Recently Strengthened Security... Due to Anxiety"

Kim Young-ho, Minister of Unification, predicted that the possibility of a North Korea-US summit after the inauguration of the Trump administration would be "not easy." He also interpreted North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un's face being as red as a Hongdangmu (Korean radish) as "due to psychological anxiety."

On the 17th, Minister Kim made these remarks during an appearance on KBS1TV's 'Sunday Diagnosis Live.' He said, "The international situation has changed since 2018-2019," adding, "North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities have advanced, and at a time when they clearly state they will not give up their nuclear weapons, whether a North Korea-US summit can be easily held after the Trump administration takes office remains to be seen."

Kim Young-ho, Minister of Unification. Photo by Yonhap News

Minister Kim went on to cite changes in the international situation such as North Korea's troop dispatch to Russia, the Ukraine war, and the Middle East war in the Gaza Strip, explaining, "No matter how much President Trump values personal diplomacy, he cannot ignore the positions of our country, allies, and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) when North Korea has dispatched troops to Russia."

He predicted that the possibility of the second Trump administration recognizing North Korea's nuclear weapons and holding disarmament talks is slim. Minister Kim said, "Ultimately, South Korea, the United States, and the international community demand North Korea's complete denuclearization, so the possibility of accepting North Korea's demands such as disarmament talks is very low," adding, "The government is making every effort to closely coordinate and consult with the new US administration to strengthen America's extended deterrence and pursue North Korea's complete nuclear dismantlement." He further explained, "South Korea cannot accept disarmament talks that tolerate North Korea's nuclear weapons," warning, "If North Korea's nuclear weapons are tolerated, other countries like South Korea and Japan may develop nuclear weapons, causing a nuclear domino effect and likely leading to the collapse of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)."

Regarding why North Korea has not made any statements about the US presidential election results so far, he viewed it as "North Korea has not yet finalized its stance toward the United States." On the possibility that South Korea might be bypassed in North Korea-US talks, he said, "South Korea and the United States must closely coordinate in advance, and North Korea will find it difficult to go to Washington without passing through Seoul," adding "we are responding by solidifying the South Korea-US cooperation system."

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, supervised the performance tests of various self-destructive attack drones produced by research institutes and enterprises under the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology Union on-site on the 14th, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 15th. Yonhap News

Minister Kim also commented on the National Intelligence Service's report to the National Assembly that security has been strengthened due to increased vigilance over threats to Chairman Kim Jong-un's personal safety. He said, "It has been confirmed that Chairman Kim always travels with a vehicle that jams radio waves and has measures in place against drone attacks and related equipment," adding, "It was also unusually confirmed that during a recent special forces training observation, security personnel were directly holding guns with their fingers on the trigger." He explained, "The strengthening of security indicates that threats and vigilance regarding his personal safety are increasing."

Minister Kim further said, "A high-ranking defector diplomat said, 'I saw Chairman Kim up close, and his face was very red like a Hongdangmu,'" adding, "When I asked a psychiatrist, they said that when a person is psychologically anxious, their face turns red." He continued, "This suggests that due to the internal and external situation, it is necessary to strengthen personal security measures."