North Korean Leader Promises the World ‘Wonder’

 

North Korean state media recently showed pictures of leader Kim Jong Un riding a white horse on the country’s highest mountain.

The photographs were posted by the Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA. It suggested this means Kim is considering a major decision.

On the internet many people made jokes and memes about the pictures after KCNA released them.

The pictures were taken on snow-covered Mount Paektu, the highest mountain in the Koreas. This is where North Korean officials claim Kim’s father, the late Kim Jong Il, was born.

KCNA said Kim’s ride after the first snow of the season is a “great event of weighty importance.” It noted¹ he traveled with several high-level North Korean officials.

KCNA said, “Having witnessed the great moments of his thinking atop Mount Paektu, all the officials accompanying him were convinced with overflowing³ emotion and joy that there will be a great operation to strike the world with wonder again and make a step forward in the Korean revolution.”

The North Korean ruling party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, said the ride represented Kim’s resolve to protect the country from outside pressure.

Since taking power in 2011, Kim has visited the mountain several times. Often, the trips happen before important decisions, such as having his uncle executed in 2013.

The last time Kim visited Mount Paektu was in December 2017. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency noted that was just before Kim turned toward diplomacy⁴ with the United States and South Korea.

A dramatic show

Andray Abrahamian is a visiting scholar at George Mason University Korea. He said appearances on Mount Paektu have an important national purpose.

He said they connect Kim to his ancestors who led the country before him. Both appeared on horseback from time to time. “It makes sense,” Abrahamian said. “Most North Koreans will never ride a horse and it seems regal, martial⁵ and dramatic.”

Many Koreans in both the North and South consider Mount Paektu sacred.

What is less clear is what Kim’s possible decision to “strike the world with wonder” means. Some observers suggest it is about an upcoming rocket test. Abrahamian said the language is “vague” or not very clear.

“That’s the point,” he added.

No agreement yet on terms of nuclear talks

North Korea recently walked away from the first working-level nuclear talks with the U.S between lower-level officials. North Korea blamed the U.S. for not proposing good solutions.

North Korea has since threatened to restart intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and nuclear tests. The North has held 11 missile tests since May. It has not carried out a long distance missile or nuclear test since 2017.

In February, nuclear talks with the U.S. broke down after President Donald Trump⁶ ended a meeting with Kim in Hanoi, Vietnam, without an agreement. Trump was unhappy with Kim’s offer to take down the Yongbyon nuclear center in exchange for cancelling major sanctions.

North Korea is under severe international economic sanctions because of its nuclear weapons program and long-range missile tests. The government also has faced criticism for its record of human rights abuses.

Many North Koreans face food shortages, international aid agencies say. This is partly because of government failures, bad weather and the international economic restrictions⁷.

U.S. and North Korean officials have not commented on what was offered at the most recent nuclear talks in Stockholm, Sweden, earlier this month.

Harry⁸ Harris is the U.S. ambassador to South Korea. He said North Korea asked the U.S. for “everything” before it offered to do anything. He made the comments to South Korea’s Dong-A Ilbo newspaper.

Harris also dismissed an end-of-the-year time limit for the nuclear talks to progress. He said it was a time limit set by North Korea.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

And I’m Anne Ball.

Words in This Story

meme – n. an amusing or interesting picture, video or design that is spreads widely through the internet

accompany – v. to go somewhere with (someone) : to be a companion for (someone)

overflow² – v. to flow over the edge or top of (something)

regal – adj. of, relating to, or suitable for a king or queen

martial – adj. of or relating to war or soldiers

intercontinental – adj. traveling or occurring between continents

ballistic missile – n. a weapon that is shot through the sky over a great distance and then falls to the ground and explodes

sanction – n. an action that is taken or an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc. — usually plural

1 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

2 overflow   

v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出

参考例句：

• The overflow from the bath ran on to the floor.浴缸里的水溢到了地板上。
• After a long period of rain,the river may overflow its banks.长时间的下雨天后，河水可能溢出岸来。

3 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

4 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

5 martial   

adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的

参考例句：

• The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
• The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。

6 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

7 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

8 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。