Kim Jong-un sheds tears as he delivers rare apology to North Korea over failings

[mysteryowl]

Source: Guardian/US

The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, shed tears as he issued a rare apology for his failure to guide the country through tumultuous times exacerbated by the coronavirus outbreak.

Speaking at a huge military parade held at the weekend to mark the 75th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ party, Kim removed his glasses and wiped away tears – an indication, analysts say, of mounting pressure on his regime.

“Our people have placed trust, as high as the sky and as deep as the sea, in me, but I have failed to always live up to it satisfactorily,” he said, according to a translation of his comments in the Korea Times. “I am really sorry for that.”

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/12/kim-jong-un-sheds-tears-as-he-delivers-rare-apology-to-north-korea-over-failings

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Trump can't/won't even do that.

[thesquanderer]

12. Yes, the Supreme Leader of NK shows more empathy and humility than the President of the U.S. n/t

[LiberalLovinLug]

20. It could be that he or his advisors recomended he do this to make himself look better than the POTUS

Sad how easy it is on the world stage to look good compared to the POTUS. Even ruthless dictators can look decent compared to him.

And Jong-un is ruthless without a shred of compassion.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/n-koreans-reportedly-ordered-to-hand-over-their-dogs-for-meat-amid-food-shortages/C5GXJIAYX3I3VHYNVMCNV35444/

N Koreans reportedly ordered to hand over their dogs for meat amid food shortages

In July, Kim banned ownership of pet dogs, denouncing having a dog at home as "a tainted trend of bourgeois ideology", a source told South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper.

"Authorities have identified households with pet dogs and are forcing them to give them up or forcefully confiscating them and putting them down," the source added.

"Some of the dogs are sent to state-run zoos or sold to dog meat restaurants".


I can't imagine how horrific it is for pet dog owners there. And of course their poor "best friend". Even though the culture is different, and most N Koreans cannot afford to own a pet.

[ailsagirl]

32. I know, right??

[hlthe2b]

2. Well, that was unexpected...

'Guess it proves he's alive, though.

[pandr32]

13. That's what I thought as well

I guess he came out of his vegetative state.

[BlueStater]

8. Uh, he's a murderer.

He killed an American citizen, in addition to his own people.

He can go die in a fire.

[Wawannabe]

11. And tRump has killed some 200,000

American citizens with his SHITSHOW of "leadership ". Ok

[BlueStater]

15. I didn't say anything about Trump.

You said you’d “honor” Kim Jong Un.

I just found it strange wording when referring to a genocidal despot.

[dware]

16. And the Kim family has killed far more than that,

The mango Menace is responsible for those over 200,000 deaths but the Kim family has killed, murdered, annihilated far more than 200,000.

[dchill]

4. Kim Jong Un: Now even more oleaginous.

Trump will never equal him in that.

[TalenaGor]

7. ill be the first to admit

that im going to have to google that word lol

+10 vocabulary

[dchill]

10. I have seen the word used before. I hadn't seen it recently...

...and had to firmly press my memory to give it up. But it fits.

[japple]

14. I have always seen that word applied to Mike Pence!!! eom

[BumRushDaShow]

18. I had to look it up too because at least the first part

suggested something to do with a "fat" (the "olea" part), which didn't make sense until I saw the definition's context.

And then as part of the definition, they threw in another "SAT word" - obsequious - which REALLY fits with the MAGAts.

[lastlib]

30. Gergen applied it to tRump on CNN not long ago.

tRump would've looked it up but he could only spell the "o"........

[marie999]

22. He's an olive tree?

[dchill]

24. In a manner of speaking.

[BusyBeingBest]

5. Holy shit. Covid must have hit harder there than the rest of the world knows.

Either that, or his rumored coma and near-death illness was all true and his brain had some damage.

[Aristus]

6. WTF?

Did Kim take a Japanese sales training course?

They make you do that in those seminars...

[Bengus81]

9. I thought he is claiming zero covid cases in NK

BS crocodile tears. He knows how to play em better than Trump.

[lonely bird]

17. Coming up next

A palace coup. His sister will overthrow him.

[dware]

19. And his sister is even more batshit-crazy than he is. NT.

[lonely bird]

21. Agreed. The key would be how the military reacts.

[LudwigPastorius]

26. Unlikely, given the culture of rigid patriarchy.

It is rumored that Kim Jong-un has a young son.

If the military had the balls to try a coup, I think they'd bring in the founder of the country's last living son, Kim Pyong-il, to rule until Kim Jong-un's child is old enough to take over.

[lonely bird]

28. While you are correct re: rigid patriarchy

I find it interesting that I had never heard of his sister (my own fault perhaps) but then she suddenly showed up. Imo, the military holds the key. If they could be sufficiently convinced to back her then her brother is bye-bye. I also agree that she would be worse than Kim.

[LudwigPastorius]

23. Hmm....OK

Crocodile tears

[Historic NY]

25. Trump 'I don't take responsibility at all'

[SWBTATTReg]

27. Pathetic. This scumbag is responsible for the deaths of millions of Koreans, him and his kin...

[soryang]

29. All part of a carefully orchestrated spectacle

It is clear that it served its purposes domestically and internationally in his view without crossing any red lines. The speech struck a conciliatory tone with the South, that one might regard somewhat cynically after recent events. Generally, Kim's diplomacy has taken to emulating the good cop, bad cop routine the US displayed after Singapore.

One has to wonder whether Kim watches South Korean television dramas. The scene was one that could be seen in the living room of an imaginary South Korean family during challenging times. Tears were shed all around. The speech was very theatrical. Even as scripted as these North Korean events go, it would be hard not to be overcome by emotion, under the circumstances in North Korea.

Nevertheless, the demeanor of Kim and his coterie after his speech indicates the entire performance was regarded as a great success, at least as far as they were concerned.

The parade apparently was followed by the mass games. Hyon Song-wol was present at both. In the recent past she played a key role in joint North South cultural events.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyon_Song-wol#:~:text=Hyon%20disappeared%20from%20public%20view,since%20they%20were%20both%20teenagers.

what happened to the "kim is dead" experts?

[PatrickforO]

31. I can see I'm not the only one here who has noticed our own 'beloved leader's' failure

to feel any remorse for all the Americans who have died, let alone take any responsibility for his own failings.

I can't believe that Kim Jong Un BEAT TRUMP TO THE MEA CULPA PUNCH.

I mean, that really says something, people, and it ain't good.

[LudwigPastorius]

33. They buried the lede.

At this event, North Korea debuted a new "heavy" ICBM which is presumed to be able to hit any target in the continental United States.

https://www.38north.org/2020/10/vdiepenmelleman101020/

we estimate the new missile could, in principle, deliver 2,000-3,500 kg of payload to any point in the continental United States—much greater than the Hwasong-15’s assessed 1,000 kg payload capability to the same range.

But why would the North Korean’s need or want such a big missile? Especially since the Hwasong-15 would appear to have sufficient range/payload capability and room for improvement to meet North Korea’s operational targeting needs, and is much easier to move and conceal.

...there may be operational reasons to make such a large missile. The North may want to be able (or to be seen as able) to deliver a much larger payload to anywhere in the US.

...the North may have decided that it wanted to possess or portray the capability to deliver a “super heavy” single large thermonuclear reentry vehicle against US cities for political or deterrent effect.

[Codeine]

34. Human garbage.

He can go fuck himself.

[EndlessWire]

35. He executed five officials

for discussing how to fix their economy. And, he finished off their families. The guy is a mass murderer, and doesn't deserve to draw a breath.

[The Magistrate]

36. God Save Anyone Who Agrees Aloud, Sir

Like Mao's 'Let ten thousand flowers bloom, let one hundred schools of thought contend,' this translates into the vernacular as 'Who among you is truly stupid? Let him step forward....'