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POLITICS-NKOREA-US-SUMMIT-MEDIA
N.Korea TV summit broadcast hails Kim as ‘world leader’
SEOUL, June 14, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – North Korean state television Thursday
aired footage of Kim Jong Un’s historic summit with Donald Trump in
Singapore, with the report describing Kim as a “prominent world leader” who
is universally revered.
The 40-minute broadcast by Korean Central Television seized the chance to
heap praise on Kim, showing footage of his night time stroll on the Singapore
waterfront and saying he was welcomed with “deep respect and boundless
enthusiasm” in the city-state.
“Singapore, a beautiful and developed city, has become all the more famous
because of the meeting of the century”, the female voiceover reported.
“The streets were crowded with wellwishers who were full of reverence for
Chairman Kim, who has come to lead world politics with his extraordinary
political acumen”, she said.
Kim was “warmly welcomed” by crowds “wherever he appeared”, according to
the voiceover, as the footage cut to a scene of Kim strolling through the
Gardens by the Bay accompanied by Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian
Balakrishnan, as crowds strained to take smartphone pictures.
“The meeting of the century awaited by the whole world finally took place”
on Tuesday, the voiceover said to shots of Kim’s long motorcade en route to
the summit venue on Sentosa island.
“Who could have imagined that the two leaders meet and take a big first
step toward reconciliation?”
The footage showcased scenes spanning the hugely-anticipated day,
including Kim and Trump’s first handshake in front of their national flags.
The broadcast also showed the pair sitting down for talks, sharing a
working lunch, signing a joint statement and Trump showing Kim his armoured
limousine, nicknamed the “Beast”.
“President Trump showed Chairman Kim his Beast and expressed respect and
endless admiration for Chairman Kim”, it said.
The video ended with Kim returning home to a red carpet hero’s welcome,
complete with honour guards and crowds of hysterical wellwishers cheering and
waving flags at Pyongyang airport.
“The whole country heartily welcomed home the prominent world leader,
revered by all the people under the heaven”, it concluded.
North Korea’s tightly controlled state media has enthusiastically reported
the summit as a great achievement for the country, which remains isolated and
heavily sanctioned.
The official KCNA news agency ran a glowing dispatch, describing it as an
“epoch-making meeting” that would help foster “a radical switchover in the
most hostile (North Korea)-US relations”.
And the North’s ruling Workers Party official daily Rodong Sinmun splashed
no fewer than 33 pictures across four of its usual six pages.
In Pyongyang, commuters crowded round the spread of images, for most of
them the first they had seen of the summit.
BSS/AFP/ARS/1631 hrs