North Korea said an army general tied to two attacks on South Korean forces would lead its delegation to the Winter Olympics’ closing ceremony this weekend, according to The Wall Street Journal. This presents a diplomatic quandary for U.S. presidential adviser Ivanka Trump, who is also planning to attend. This potential encounter comes just weeks after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence pointedly ignored North Korean enjoys, including the sister of leader Kim Jong Un, at the opening of the Games in South Korea. The U.S. later announced that North Korea had canceled a planned meeting with Mike Pence at the last minute. Now, the U.S. delegation will have to decide how to treat the presence of the general, Kim Yong Chol, who has been sanctioned by Seoul for his alleged role in the 2010 sinking of a South Korean warship, which killed 46 sailors, and the bombardment of a South Korean island that same year, according to WSJ. Seoul’s Ministry of Unification said Thursday that it had agreed to Gen. Kim’s visit in order to “further its goals of improving inter-Korean relations and pursuing denuclearization.” Pyongyang announced that Gen. Kim would be at the ceremony just hours after the White House said it would send Ivanka Trump. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Republican Sen. James Risch are also set to attend.
Thanks for reading InsideHook. Sign up for our daily newsletter and be in the know.
