Confusion and Protests. How Seoul Reacted to President Trump Quitting the North Korea Summit

Time Magazine ^ | May 25, 2018 | Joseph Hincks in Seoul

[2ndDivisionVet]

South Korea sought to reassure its northern neighbor Friday after President Donald Trump abruptly canceled his planned June 12 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry said it would “do its part” in working toward improving relations with North Korea and formally ending the Korean War as agreed in a historic meeting between the two longtime foes on April 27.

Officials in the South were left blindsided Thursday after Trump penned a letter telling Kim he was canceling the summit because of “tremendous anger and open hostility displayed” by the North.

President Moon Jae-in called an emergency meeting and government spokesperson Kim Eui-kyeom told reporters, “We are trying to figure out what President Trump’s intention is and the exact meaning of it.”

While officials scrambled to make sense of Trump’s change of heart, the reaction among those in the capital, Seoul, was mixed.

In Itaewon, a popular Seoul nightlife district Thursday night, 20-year-old Jae Hye-rim told TIME she was happy the talks were off because she did not want unification with the North for economic reasons. Businessman Kwon Jae-won, 47, said the two Koreas were at an important juncture in their history but doubted Trump’s sincerity, dismissing his letter as a “fake political strategy.”(continued)

[2ndDivisionVet]

When I was stationed there many moons ago, Korean soldiers saluting each other would say "Tongil" which means reunification.

[rjsimmon]

If they truly wanted to be reunified, there is not one thing preventing it. Moon and Kim could make it happen in one week. All it takes is desire. Something I note that is lacking, especially from the North.

[Louis Foxwell]

Prime minister of SK was in the White House when this strategy was developed.

[Antoninus]

If they truly wanted to be reunified, there is not one thing preventing it. Moon and Kim could make it happen in one week.

Uh, there is one thing preventing it. And that thing is a gigantic regional hegemon with a population of 1.4 billion across the Yalu River. There will be no re-unification as long as China is opposed.

[dsrtsage]

Why have reunification? What does the south have to gain? Isnt merkel an “east german”.

[rjsimmon]

Even China could not prevent it. There may be severe repercussions, but not one thing could stop it if both Korea’s wanted reunification.

[2ndDivisionVet]

President, not Prime Minister.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Families separated for 68 years want to see their relatives. Both sides are probably tired of conscription. If the North became relatively as prosperous as the South, and took advantage of their mineral wealth, there’d be very few countries as well off. Which is mind boggling. It was still something of a poor, third-world country when I left the last time. There was no subway in Seoul, only buses and cars.

[billyboy15]

it seems pretty obvious to me that the reason South Korea was not notified in advance of Trump’s cancellation of this meeting is that North Korea would have found out about it and they would have pulled out first thereby making America look bad.

[Bratch]

Thread by @ThomasWictor: "(1) AHA! So THIS is the plan. Here's the North Korean statement. (2) "The disgraceful situation shows how severe the present situation of th […]"

Thomas Wictor

@ThomasWictor

---

(1) AHA!

So THIS is the plan.

Here's the North Korean statement.

(2) "The disgraceful situation shows how severe the present situation of the seasonal hostility with deep historical roots and how desperately needing reunification for the improvement of the relationship is shown."

 

(3) The North Koreans are saying, "The US and North Korea can't even talk, due to the mutual historical baggage. So the only solution is reunification with the South."

OH MY GOD.

Kim Jong-un is saying that in order to improve relations, he's willing to dissolve his country!

 

(4) And with that one statement, China loses control of North Korea.

Incredible.

Trump and Bolton and Kim and Moon pulled off the mother of all deceptions.

 

(5) Next, Trump will agree to meet Kim.

AND he'll thank Kim and his people for graciously agreeing to meet with him.

THAT is what's going on.

See, the Chinese were thinking small: nukes.

Trump and Kim were thinking BIG: reunification.

 

(6) This won't be the same as the reunification of Germany.

Koreans aren't Germans.

A GIGANTIC new market is opening up. Kim and Moon will steer this ship of state brilliantly.

 

(7) Always trust Trump.

He and Kim had us looking over HERE, while in fact the two of them were working over THERE.

---

Balance of thread here.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Who is Thomas Wictor?

[PapaBear3625]

Families separated for 68 years want to see their relatives. Both sides are probably tired of conscription. If the North became relatively as prosperous as the South, and took advantage of their mineral wealth, there’d be very few countries as well off.

When something is just not happening, it's typically because there are people with power who are benefiting from how things are. To make it happen, you have to first deal with the factors and people who don't want it to happen.

Little Kim benefits from how things are. He is absolute despot of his own country. A bunch of other people in NK are benefiting, otherwise Kim would have died long ago. Some people in SK are also benefiting from how things are.

[sockmonkey]

*** Who is Thomas Wictor? ***

IMHO, he is one of those Twitter Gurus that some people think is the Oracle of Delphi on politics, and the Middle East.

To me, he just comes across as a hostile, alcoholic, obnoxious, and grating as hell, wound to tight, PTSD person.

[trebb]

Same here - worked in the HTAC doing comm maintenance...

[Bratch]

About Thomas Wictor

Thomas Wictor on Twitter

[Louis Foxwell]

Ah. Yes. Knew I had something wrong. Ain’t it great!

[Antoninus]

Even China could not prevent it. There may be severe repercussions, but not one thing could stop it if both Korea’s wanted reunification.

Don't kid yourself. If not for China, reunification would have happened long ago. A divided or subjugated Korea has been a policy goal of China for centuries if not millennia.