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NORTH KOREAN LEADER Kim Jong Un mounted a white horse in an evocative propaganda stunt as his own deadline for US movement on nuclear talks is nearing.
The images in his country’s official media showed a bespectacled Kim, wearing a long, light-brown coat and riding up snow-covered Mount Paektu on horseback.
The location and the animal are symbols associated with the Kim family’s dynastic rule.
The highest point on the Korean Peninsula is sacred to North Koreans, and Kim has visited it before making major decisions such as the 2013 execution of his uncle and his 2018 entrance into diplomacy with Seoul and Washington.
The images and Kim’s comments were released days after his country’s first nuclear negotiations with the US in more than seven months fell apart.
‘The road of arduous struggle’
South Korean media quickly speculated Kim may be considering a new strategy in his dealings with the US because he’s previously demanded Washington come up with new proposals to salvage the stalemated diplomacy by the end of December.
“He, sitting on the horseback atop Mt Paektu, recollected with deep emotion the road of arduous struggle he covered for the great cause of building the most powerful country with faith and will as firm as Mt Paektu,” the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said.
North Korean documents say Kim’s grandfather and national founder Kim Il Sung had an anti-Japan guerrilla base on Paektu’s slopes during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.
The official biography of Kim Jong Un’s father, Kim Jong Il, said the second-generation leader was born on Paektu when a double rainbow filled the skies.
The white horse is also a propaganda symbol for the Kim family that has ruled North Korea for seven decades with a strong personality cult surrounding family members.
State media have occasionally shown Kim, his sister and his father riding white horses.
The symbolism goes back to Kim Il Sung, who according to the North’s official narrative, rode a white horse while fighting Japanese colonial rulers.
KCNA said Kim also visited nearby construction sites in Samjiyon County and complained about US-led UN sanctions imposed on his country because of its nuclear and missile programmes.
“The situation of the country is difficult owing to the ceaseless sanctions and pressure by the hostile forces and there are many hardships and trials facing us,” Kim was quoted as saying.
“But our people grew stronger through the trials and found their own way of development and learned how to always win in the face of trials.”
Kim also said “the pain the US-led anti-(North Korea) hostile forces inflicted upon the Korean people … turned into their anger”, according to KCNA.
“No matter what persistent efforts the enemy make, we can live well with our own efforts and pave the avenue to development and prosperity in our own way.”
North Korea has been slapped with a total of 11 rounds of sanctions since 2006.
The sanctions have been toughened since 2016 when Kim began conducting a series of high-profile nuclear and missile tests, and they include a full ban on key exports such as coal, textiles and seafood and a significant curtailing of oil imports.
During his second summit with President Donald Trump in Vietnam in February, Kim demanded the United States lift the newer and more biting sanctions in return for dismantling his main nuclear complex, a limited denuclearisation step.
Trump rejected that, and the summit collapsed without reaching any deal.
The two leaders held a brief, impromptu meeting at the Korean border in late June and agreed to resume talks.
Their negotiators met in Stockholm earlier this month for the first time since the Vietnam summit but the talks broke down again.
North Korea blamed the US for the talks’ breakdown and threatened to resume nuclear and long-range missile tests.
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$kum . If caught, Send their parents the bill, or take it out of their dole. Would stop fairly quickly
@DMurph: I was listening to a radio show a couple of days ago, and apparently your not allowed to call them $cum anymore, they would prefer if you would refer to them as children under conflict.
It’s not the kids fault, they had tough upbringings.
….blah, blah, blah
@DMurph: …because the children of middle class families are little angels.
@Matt Connolly: you are the first to mention class.
@DMurph: How do you know they are the kids of the unemployed, have you given the info to the Gardai as you seem to know quite well who the kids are? Children of employed people can be skum too.
Skobes will be skobes
Would a curfew be a solution,imposed on children of a school going age ,with financial liability for any damage done put on the parent /parents,?civil liberty comes with civic responsibility.
It’s worth noting that this a lovely area to live generally, with great amenities and close to town. It has become more settled in the last number of years and a home to many new, young families. Therefore it is crucial that this recent spate of arson is dealt with so that we can all return to enjoying the community we live in. Also, locals have been very supportive since the fire and have volunteered their time to the home owner to help her with repairs to her home. A great testament to community spirit in the midst of this very challenging and upsetting behaviour!
Zero tolerance is whats need in this country now if it can be done in N.Y it can be done here!
The bin companies have a role in this particular risk, in requiring that bins be out before 6 am, which leads to putting them out overnight.
Not alone are they a fire risk, but also a footpath obstruction for prams, wheelchairs & sight handicapped persons.
Also, bin day should also be a no parking day, so that the trucks, & other services can clear gutters, drains, & the bins placed off the paths.
Pyromania is an early indication of a sociopath,I do hope it’s not youngsters,what will they develop into ?The Gaurds should have a free rein,and all the resources necessary to bring these people to book ,and the judiciary be given the powers to impose long sentences on them. The one good thing to come out of this incident is that the community gave support to the victim and only the community can cough the perps up.
Sc00mbags
The new bollards erected to cut off traffic between Millbourne and Millmount Ave travelling to Ferguson and Walsh road is going to encourage more anti social behaviour with less traffic in the area to deter these youths from running riot……
Nightmare store of loons who are criminal and will become worse as they get older?
Locals have a very good idea about who is committing these acts, they’ve have been at it for over two years now. Most of the people who live there have been made aware that this is a bad bad sign for things to come. Guards say there is little they can do. With what I hear about the traffic changes there, its going to go only one way with these young people. While Drumcondra is a good place to live, its actions like this, that made me happy when my youngsters moved.
have your say