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

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his sister Kim Yo-jong. Photo: AP

Published: 3:41pm, 8 Feb 2018Updated: 4:04pm, 8 Feb 2018

North Korea’s attempts to use the Winter Olympics as a part of a “charm offensive” to woo its southern neighbour will be futile, Washington’s envoy in Seoul said on Thursday, a day before the Games’ opening ceremony which Kim Jong-un’s younger sister is expected to attend.

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.”