International desk: Ivanka Trump arrived in South Korea Friday night to attend the closing of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, in a visit that has been eagerly anticipated by the progressive government here, The Washington Post reports.
Although the White House says the president’s adviser is here to represent the United States and cheer on the American team, local media are drawing comparisons between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's decision to send his sister to the opening, and President Trump's decision to send his daughter to the closing.
“It’s a great honor to be here in South Korea with the U.S. delegation,” Trump said upon arrival at Incheon airport, west of Seoul. “We are very, very excited to attend the 2018 Winter Olympic Games to cheer for Team USA and to reaffirm our strong and enduring commitment with the people of the Republic of Korea.”
Trump will attend a dinner at the presidential Blue House on Friday night that features “Korean food designed to be palatable for foreigners,” and has been “delicately prepared” to be kosher for her.On the menu is lotus root and pear salad, grilled soft tofu and bibimbap, “a food that mixes different ingredients evenly and symbolizes harmony,” the Blue House said.
Also attending the dinner are White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders; Senator James E. Risch (R-Idaho); General Vincent Brooks, commander of U.S. Forces Korea; and Marc Knapper, the U.S. charge d’affaires in Seoul for the past 13 months.The South Korean government is going to great lengths to give Trump a royal welcome, especially given the precarious state of relations between Washington and Seoul as the progressive government here tries to engage North Korea while the Trump administration expounds a policy of “maximum pressure.”
“Trump’s treatment in South Korea carries great significance as it could affect our relations with the United States as well as North Korea,” the JoongAng Ilbo, one of South Korea's biggest newspapers, said in an editorial Friday.“Even if she does not carry messages from her father, her remarks can give a clue to grasping what the Trump administration really thinks. If our government helps her understand South Korea’s situation on the peninsula, it could help improve Seoul-Washington ties,” the paper wrote.
On Saturday, Trump, described by the White House as a “winter sports enthusiast,” will head to PyeongChang to watch American athletes compete. She will then represent the United States at the closing ceremony on Sunday night.
That could lead to some awkward scenes as North Korea is also sending a high-level delegation to attend the closing.
For the opening, Kim Jong Un sent his sister, Kim Yo Jong, who was instantly dubbed by the local press “the Ivanka Trump of North Korea” because of her family connections and PR efforts.
Kim, who is literally the propaganda chief in North Korea, was an object of mystery and fascination for many South Koreans, given how little is known about the leadership in Pyongyang.
Speculation only grew after her departure, when local media reported that Kim Yo Jong was pregnant.The South Korean government spent $223,000 hosting the North Korean delegation during their three-day visit. About half of it on accommodation and about $50,000 each on meals and transportation, the Unification Ministry said.
To lead its delegation to the closing, North Korea is sending Kim Yong Chol, a senior official who is widely considered the mastermind behind the 2010 torpedo attack on a South Korean naval corvette, which killed 46 sailors.
The delegation will arrive on Sunday for a three-day visit, during which time they will discuss North Korea’s participation in the Paralympics.
During the opening ceremony, Vice President Pence assiduously avoided acknowledging Kim, even though she was seated almost directly behind him.Although Moon will meet with the North Korean delegation after the closing, the Blue House has said there are no plans for any meetings or even encounters between Trump and Kim during the closing ceremony. Trump leaves South Korea on Monday.
South Korean conservatives are outraged that Kim Yong Chol is being allowed to visit the South.“We absolutely oppose a visit to the South by Kim Yong Chol, the main culprit of the Cheonan's sinking,” Rep. Kim Sung-tae, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, said during a rally, according to the Yonhap News Agency. “His visit should be immediately scrapped.”
