North Korea’s Olympic charm offensive futile, says US – but will Kim’s sister get a handshake?
Washington’s envoy in Seoul refuses to rule out meeting between US Vice-President Mike Pence and Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, when she arrives in South Korea for Friday’s opening ceremony in Pyeongchang
Marc Knapper, the interim charge d’affaires in Seoul, however, refused to rule out the possibility of the visiting US Vice-President Mike Pence meeting with 28-year-old Kim Yo-jong.
Kim, who will be the first member of the isolated regime’s ruling dynasty to visit the South, will accompany ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-nam at Friday’s opening ceremony in the city of Pyeongchang. Pence will lead the US delegation at the event.
“For sure it is generating a lot of interest … we have got wall to wall coverage of the North Korean delegation and especially her [Kim’s] appearance, first time ever that a member of the Kim family has visited South Korea,” Knapper said in a telephone press briefing with regional journalists ahead of Pence’s arrival in Seoul on Thursday afternoon.
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“As for whether she or any of the other North Korean delegation members will meet the vice-president or members of our delegation, I will just say we have not requested a meeting, as the vice-president himself noted,” Knapper said. “As he also said, we will see what happens.”