Pyongyang: North Korea's state media on Wednesday provided brief coverage of U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration, marking its first reports since his election last year. The Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's main newspaper for domestic readers, and the Korean Central Broadcasting Station, a state-run radio network, reported Trump's swearing-in as the U.S. president earlier this week.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Rodong Sinmun noted, "In the United States, Donald Trump has taken office as president. He was elected the 47th president of the U.S. in the election in November last year and the inauguration ceremony was proceeded on Jan. 20 in Washington," placing the report on the sixth page of its external news section. This marks the first time North Korea's state media have published news related to Trump since he won his second term last year.
Historically, North Korea has delayed reporting on U.S. presidential elections. In 2016, when Trump was first elected, North Korean media took more than 10 days to publish election results. Similarly, North Korea remained silent for about two months after Joe Biden's victory in 2020, reporting only after his official inauguration in January the following year.
On Trump's first day back in office, he referred to North Korea as a "nuclear power" and expressed expectations that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would be "happy" with his return to the White House. Experts suggest that Trump may aim to revive summit diplomacy with Kim, potentially seeking a "small deal," such as a freeze on North Korea's nuclear programs or steps toward nuclear disarmament.
During his first term, Trump met with Kim Jong-un three times, starting with their first summit in Singapore in 2018. However, the Hanoi summit in February 2019 concluded without an agreement.