North Korea’s Kim Jong Un brings transformation from Paria to a confident diplomat

Tokyo (AP) – UN Kim Jung gave command performance this week A gathering of approximately 20 Chinese world leadersconfidently hangs out in one of the biggest international stages of his 14-year career as a North Korean leader.

As Kim returns home on Friday, his time in Beijing shows a spectacular change from his first year of tentative and violent power. A threat to his rule.

Serious diplomacy with a large group of leaders was unthinkable.

But in Beijing, Kim appeared to be the leader whose propaganda services were constantly trying to portray.

From 2018 he and US President Donald Trump The first one was held Of their much-published meetings, Kim emerged as a much more confident leader, much different than when he later came to power. His father’s death in 2011.

Certainly, he has not yet established the United Nations or the Western Global Forum. And attendees in Beijing, which did not include the leaders of the US, Western Europe or Japan, showed little interest in pushing him over human rights violations or widespread concerns about his nuclear weapons. But this week’s events are a turning point in the use of international diplomacy to promote the purposes of largely secluded nations.

He skillfully treated his two biggest allies, China President XI Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putinlaugh with them and pledge lasting aid to Moscow in it The war against Ukraineand strengthens the sometimes unstable relationship with China. He rubbed his shoulders with the world leader with confidence Military Parade We celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

He even felt confident enough to bring His young daughterand potential successors, for the ride.

“He now looks like an experienced realist and political survivor. In addition to human rights abuses and the development of nuclear missiles, Kim calculated diplomacy in his authoritarian toolkit,” said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at EWHA Womans University in Seoul.

For decades, the biggest international travel for North Korean leaders has been Boarding the occasional armored train to Chinahe was troubled somewhat sleazy by the only real allies in his country, only real allies, an economic, diplomatic, military lifeline in a neighbourhood filled with enemies.

Kim is still using a bulletless green train, and this latest foreign trip is Beijing. But the similarities ended there.

It started with three meetings with Donald Trump.

Kim and Trump met one-on-one In Singapore in 2018 after that In Vietnam in 2019. They also later discussed at the two Korean borders.

These were the first pinnacles between sitting US presidents and North Korean leaders. The talks failed to stop North Korea’s decades of pursuit of nuclear weapons and missiles.

There have been widespread criticism that Trump helped change Kim’s image, from pariahs to his legitimate dialogue partner.

Trump’s interest in the 2018 and 2019 summits and another Trump “gives Kim the legitimacy he longs for,” says Temple University’s Asian specialist Jeff Kingston. “From now on, Kim will use Trump to attract attention and seek assistance, an old formula that has maintained this dynasty’s regime.”

Kim’s recent trips include two prominent trips to Russia in April 2019. Summit with Putin In Vladivostok, Pacific Port City, and September 2023 To meet again With the Russian leader Space Facilities.

It marks a big break with his father’s international diplomacy

Kim Jong Eun’s grandfather National Founder Kim Il Sungalthough he was more adventurous in his trip, Kim Jong Woo’s father, Kim Jong Il, was famous for avoiding plane trips, Special armored train.

During his 17 years of power, Kim Jong Il traveled around 12 overseas. Almost everything was a train trip to China. He was traveling by train when he died in 2011.

Experts believe that North Korea’s previous rulers largely avoided the events of multiple heads of state in attendance, as North Korean propaganda was conscious of portraying them as unparalleled leaders and internationally denounced their nuclear ambitions.

However, travel to China was considered important. Like his son, Kim Jong Il knew he needed to pay tribute to Beijing. Beijing offers everything from fuel to shrimp chips, from the main North Korean connections, air and rail to the outside world.

Of course, this dependency makes the Kim dynasty vulnerable. This is one of the reasons why UN Kim Jong expanded his diplomatic circle. When he saw the opportunity to support a strongly approved and isolated Russia, he seized it, sending thousands of North Korean troops and a massive amount of military equipment to help fight the Ukrainian troops in return for economic and military aid.

Pinnacle is this week’s military parade in Beijing

Xi invited 26 foreign leaders to join A huge military parade Wednesday.

However, there was a certain topic surrounding Kim.

Xi Jin invited Kim to stand by him and the Putin faction, and invited him to the podium in Tiananmen Square. Three leaders walked From shoulder to shoulder Pause to the platform to shake hands with World War II veterans.

But as he immerses himself in the brilliance of his trip to Beijing, an issue that has not yet been answered is the future of negotiations with Kim and Washington regarding his nuclear and missile programme.

Trump signaled his desire to talk repeatedly, but North Korea rejected those offers.

Kim has conducted far more weapons tests than his father and grandfather, endured in the face of deep international grievances and crippled sanctions, and seems convinced that only nuclear weapons will guarantee the survival of his country.

Kim’s success in Beijing appears to provide him with a little more leverage in future negotiations.

“He now stepped onto the international stage with confidence in strategic power,” said Koffwan, former president of South Korea’s Institute of Unification.

___

Associated Press authors Hyunjin Kim and Kim Tong-hyun contributed to the story from Seoul, Korea.