Pence and two Koreas at the Olympics

Vice President Mike Pence led the U.S. delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea, although he only stayed until Saturday night.   The late change between North and South Korea to turn this into the first step in the direction of some sort of rapprochement, maybe leading eventually to negotiations and ultimately reunification, left the U.S. and Pence in an awkward position.  But then Pence made the worst of the situation.   He has a talent for doing just that.

The U.S. doesn't trust North Korea's motives, calling this a propaganda move by the North, and suspicious that any real thawing will evaporate after the TV cameras leave and that the North's real motive is to drive a wedge between the U.S. and South Korea.     Nevertheless, South Korea -- our ally -- very much wanted this and promoted it.   And we had Pence there acting very much like a petulant, jilted suitor.

One reason this was a good move was that getting the North to actually participate in the games, and even moreso with the two teams marching in together as one under one flag, would ensure that the North would not pull some stunt that would endanger those a the games, or to embarrass South Korea, or ruin the emphasis on world peace and unity.   Not only that, it also eliminated the real worry that N.K. might have done something militarily or even explosive to disrupt the games.

So -- with all that in the background -- the two Koreas are playing this as real.   The South held a VIP luncheon at which Kim Yo Jong, the sister of dictator Kim Jong-un and leader of the North's delegation, invited  South Korea's president, Moon Jae-in to visit North Korea for discussions about reunification.

Kim Yo Jung -- unlike the stereotype the West has developed of the dour, drably dressed North Koreans, is a stylish young woman of 28 (or 30). who is known as an important adviser to her brother.   She is quite likely the real second in command in the North.    She was of course the center of attention;   TV footage of her walking amiably with President Moon and interacting with him was what played continuously.

Meanwhile, Pence seemed like the grumpy older uncle who rained on everyone's parade -- except that it didn't work, and he wound up looking like the odd one out on a happy occasion.  He arrived late for the VIP reception and stayed only five minutes.   At the opening ceremony, Kim Yo Jung was seated within feet of him in the row behind, but Pence sat stone-faced and never turned around or made any gesture to recognize her.

He repeatedly reminded the media of North Korea's horrible human rights abuses of its own people, of the risks posed by their nuclear program, and accused the North of trying to "high-jack the message and the imagery of the Olumpic games."   He went further in stating the U.S. opposition to any talks between South Korea and North Korea until the North agrees to negotiate an end to its nuclear program.

Actually, it was Pence himself who high-jacked the message and imagery of the Olympic games -- which is, more than anything, putting aside political difference and letting pure athletic prowess bring the world together in peace and harmony.

In contrast the South's president Moon welcomed the North's delegation with open arms and smiles.   He is making a sincere effort to at least take a time-out, in keeping with the original spirit of the "games of peace," to put aside differences and let sports be a uniting force for good.

The Associated Press quoted Frank Jannuzi, an East Asia expert at the Mansfield Foundation in Washington, criticized the Trump administration for "straining too hard to signal disgust" of Kim Jong Un's government.

"The grievances that the world has about North Korea are very legitimate.  But the Olympic moment that President Moon is trying to generate here is not the time to nurse those grievances.   It's a time to focus on messages of reconciliation and peace."

From my perspective, this was a public relations disaster for the U.S., outmaneuvered by Kim in a brilliant public relations move.  Poor Pence.   First he gets sent to a football championship game for the purpose of a staged walk-out to protest the athletes' peaceful, kneeling protest during the national anthem.    Then he gets sent half-way around the world to remain seated while everyone else stands and applauds the unified Korean athletes during the opening ceremony procession.    The White House even felt it necessary to put out a statement that the vice president was only clapping for the U.S. athletes during the entrance.

Back to the AP report:   North Korea's president "Moon has been keen to use the Olympics to pry open the door to better relations with its adversary.   North Korea has jumped at the opportunity.

"The downside for Washington is that it could expose growing differences with Seoul on the best way to deal with North Korea and achieve the ultimate goal of denuclearization. . . . 

"'It's not a complete disaster,' said James Schoff, a former senior Pentagon adviser for East Asia policy. . . .  [But] by pouring cold water on  hopes for better inter-Korean relations, Pence's stance could be viewed as critical of Moon's outreach to North Korea.  The fact that's become the narrative is due in part to things that he's [Pence] said and his body language."

I'm afraid -- so far, anyway -- this one has to be credited as a win for the two Koreas -- the South for seizing the initiative and reaching out, and the North for graciously accepting and participating.   And another international gaffe for the U.S.   Who would have believed that, in one year, the U.S. would go from undeniable world leader to laughing stock?   Is it Trumpian ineptitude?   Or Kremlin design?

Ralph