Aidan Foster-Carter discusses how Kim Jong Un has yet to meet other leaders
In an article entitled 'Kimmy No-Mates: Why no meeting and greeting?', Aidan Foster-Carter highlights the lack of interaction between Kim Jong Un and other world leaders since coming to power.
Foster-Carter begins by highlighting how important it is to not only look at what’s happening in North Korea, but also what’s not happening.
It is suggested that the reason for this lack of interaction with other leaders is perhaps due to the idea that “he has half a century still to come”, judging by the rain of his predecessors.
The most striking thought for Foster-Carter is that “in nearly two and a half years, Kim Jong Un has not been anywhere yet. Nor has any other head of state yet met him, even on home turf”. And if he were to go somewhere, where would he go?”
He highlights that “the West is closed to him for nuclear reasons”. Similarly, his recent “racist epithets at Obama will hardly open doors for him in Africa”. The obvious location seems to be China, where “Park Geun-hye has already been an honoured guest”.
Foster-Carter continues on, suggesting three possible hypotheses.
