The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Disgraced ex-minister's daughter says she feels proud, qualified as a doctor

  • 3

    Decoding success factors of NewJeans: How is it different?

  • 5

    INTERVIEWSaudi Arabia seeks greater cooperation with Korea in NEOM

  • 7

    VideoHow Koreans' favorite convenience store foods are made in factories

  • 9

    Powerful quake rocks Turkey and Syria, kills more than 1,500

  • 11

    US literary agent reflects on personal journey to discover Korea in new book

  • 13

    SM in internal feud over founder's exit from producing

  • 15

    'Celebrity forests' emerge as new K-pop trend in Seoul

  • 17

    Book recounts poverty-stricken Korean coal miners' contribution to their country

  • 19

    Opposition party's attempt to enact Korean version of IRA triggers concerns

  • 2

    Why Galaxy Book3 draws more attention than S23 smartphones

  • 4

    Singer Lee Seung-gi to marry actor Lee Da-in in April

  • 6

    VIDEOFilipina K-pop idol and K-drama actress react to stereotypes about the Philippines

  • 8

    Debate heats up over chemical castration of more sex offenders

  • 10

    BTS fails to win Grammy for 3rd consecutive year

  • 12

    The Boyz member Hyunjae apologizes for wearing hat with Rising Sun flag design

  • 14

    Coupang reveals Asia's largest fulfillment center in Daegu

  • 16

    ANALYSISNew order prevails in global battery industry

  • 18

    Dongwon aims to to acquire McDonald's Korea

  • 20

    Rescuers race against time as Turkey-Syria quake death toll passes 5,000

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Opinion
  • Yun Byung-se
  • Kim Won-soo
  • Ahn Ho-young
  • Kim Sang-woo
  • Lee Kyung-hwa
  • Mitch Shin
  • Peter S. Kim
  • Daniel Shin
  • Jeon Su-mi
  • Jang Daul
  • Song Kyung-jin
  • Park Jung-won
  • Cho Hee-kyoung
  • Park Chong-hoon
  • Kim Sung-woo
  • Donald Kirk
  • John Burton
  • Robert D. Atkinson
  • Mark Peterson
  • Eugene Lee
  • Rushan Ziatdinov
  • Lee Jong-eun
  • Chyung Eun-ju and Joel Cho
  • Bernhard J. Seliger
  • Imran Khalid
  • Troy Stangarone
  • Jason Lim
  • Casey Lartigue, Jr.
  • Bernard Rowan
  • Steven L. Shields
  • Deauwand Myers
  • John J. Metzler
  • Andrew Hammond
  • Sandip Kumar Mishra
Wed, February 8, 2023 | 00:52
Andrew Salmon
The Dennis and Jong-un show
Posted : 2013-03-04 17:17
Updated : 2013-03-04 17:17
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
By Andrew Salmon

He came; he saw; he got chummy with Asia's last great dictator.

It was Dennis Rodman's finest hour. Even as a star player in the Chicago Bulls, he never moved beyond the sport or society sections: Now, he is splashed all over global front pages.

For a chap who enjoys publicity ― and the more outrageous the publicity the better ― this is as good as it gets. Even so, I can't fault Rodman for heading North. And I can't fault the Harlem Globetrotters for attempting "basketball diplomacy." Contact beats no contact ― "jaw jaw is better than war war," as Churchill put it.

And if basketball offers the possibility of improving relations with the Pyongyang regime, then let us dispatch basketballs by the ton. After all, this visit generated a far greater ripple among North Korea's elite than did the much-heralded concert by the New York Philharmonic.

But what are the chances of the Rodman visit spearheading some kind of political breakthrough? I would guess they are roughly equivalent to Rodman winning a "Best Actor" Oscar for his next action potboiler, or perhaps of his new best chum making the front cover of "Men's Health."

Then, what have we learned from our first-ever, close-up glimpse of Kim Jong-un?

First and foremost, Kim is, indeed human: Like other mortals, he enjoys watching tall men toss balls through hoops. Fair enough. Even this "duh" realization has some value, for when perusing Pyongyang's bizarre monarchy, it is easy to forget that we are dealing with real, live humans, rather than a nuclear Fu Manchu surrounded by evil scientists and clockwork battalions of goose-stepping kung-fu stormtroopers.

Yet how reassuring is proof of Kim's normalcy? Not much: Even the worst dictators have human foibles. For example, that sensitive Austrian artist who was renowned for his kindness toward animals and small children. Or at least, Teutonic ones: Hitler was less paternal toward the millions of Jewish, Gypsy, Polish and Soviet children he slaughtered.

"Granted ― but hold on!" you cry. "Rodman told news reporters that Kim wants President Obama to call him!"

Imagine that. Imagine if Rodman was summoned for a debrief to (gasp) the White House! And then ― having got Kim's smartphone number from Rodman ― imagine if Obama picked up the presidential blower and called Kim, direct! And they had a friendly chat ― about, say, their shared interest in basketball. And that led to a summit ― which made everything alright! My, wouldn't that be just dandy?

It would ― but let's get real. Remember how Kim II gave then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright his email address? As far as I know, that promising, one-to-one channel led precisely nowhere.

My take away from the Rodman visit is this: That despite his sacred bloodline and the impressive official titles he holds, Kim III is not fully in charge in Pyongyang. And whoever is, favors no negotiations that might lead to a change in the system that the young marshal has inherited: A system which may, indeed, constrain any promising ideas the Swiss-educated leader may try to implement.

Why do I think thusly? Because while Kim cheerfully wags chins and clinks glasses with basketball stars, he avoids talking to ― or is prevented from talking to ― serious negotiators.

Take Pyongyang's diplomatic corps, who met Kim during New Year's festivities. According to reports, their meeting was short and Kim spoke not a work of English. Of course, as a Korean leader in Korea, he has no obligation to. But as noted Pyongyang watcher Mike Breen mused, this looks suspiciously deliberate: By not blurting out even a New Year's greeting in English, Kim could not say anything off-script – a script written by the shadowy powers behind his throne.

It's not just diplomats who are getting the brush-off. Two high-profile American visitors to the "democratic republic" recently returned home empty-handed.

Former U.S. politico Bill Richardson was recently in town with Google's Eric Schmidt. Richardson may be retired, but knows the power players in DC; Schmidt has the ear of the global business community. If they were convinced of Kim's sincerity, these men could have got things moving for North Korea in both the political and economic spheres.

Yet they received no invitation to the Kim Bunker. Why not? Because, I would guess, Kim's handlers do not trust him to chat with serious players, rather than sports players.

Generally, I don't like being wrong (though I frequently am). However, if I am proven incorrect on the above and basketball diplomacy gets real, diplomatic balls rolling ― well, I would be delighted.

But I am not holding my breath. On matters North Korean, cynicism consistently proves to be the only realistic attitude to adopt.

Andrew Salmon is a Seoul-based reporter and author. Reach him at andrewcsalmon@yahoo.co.uk.

 
Top 10 Stories
1Coupang reveals Asia's largest fulfillment center in Daegu Coupang reveals Asia's largest fulfillment center in Daegu
2'Celebrity forests' emerge as new K-pop trend in Seoul 'Celebrity forests' emerge as new K-pop trend in Seoul
3Tiger endures 3 years of solitary confinement in closed zoo Tiger endures 3 years of solitary confinement in closed zoo
4Seoul city zeroes in on foreign residents' unpaid taxesSeoul city zeroes in on foreign residents' unpaid taxes
5[INTERVIEW] 'Korea, US can create synergy in space industry': NASA ambassador INTERVIEW'Korea, US can create synergy in space industry': NASA ambassador
6Seoul narrows in on new sloganSeoul narrows in on new slogan
7Ex-justice minister, daughter blamed for unrepentant attitude over academic fraud Ex-justice minister, daughter blamed for unrepentant attitude over academic fraud
8Chainsaw Fest set to rip apart Club SHARP Chainsaw Fest set to rip apart Club SHARP
9Korea to allow currency trading by offshore firms, extend market hours Korea to allow currency trading by offshore firms, extend market hours
10Korea could resume issuing short-term visas to Chinese visitors soonKorea could resume issuing short-term visas to Chinese visitors soon
Top 5 Entertainment News
1[INTERVIEW] Tati Gabrielle, actress of Korean, African-American descent, feels proud of her heritage INTERVIEWTati Gabrielle, actress of Korean, African-American descent, feels proud of her heritage
2Decoding success factors of NewJeans: How is it different? Decoding success factors of NewJeans: How is it different?
3The Boyz member Hyunjae apologizes for wearing hat with Rising Sun flag design The Boyz member Hyunjae apologizes for wearing hat with Rising Sun flag design
4SM in internal feud over founder's exit from producing SM in internal feud over founder's exit from producing
5Reclusive fashion icon Martin Margiela makes comeback as artist with eerie wonderland of human bodiesReclusive fashion icon Martin Margiela makes comeback as artist with eerie wonderland of human bodies
DARKROOM
  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

  • World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

    World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group