Story of the Games so far has been the continued signs of a thaw between N & South Korea

Despite Vice-President Mike Pence’s plan to use his trip to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang to further isolate Pyongyang, the political story of the Games so far has been the continued signs of a significant thaw between North and South Korea.



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Vice-President Mike Pence’s plan to use his trip to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang to further isolate Pyongyang didn’t go very well. For about a week, Pence and his press people have been promoting how the VP was going to stand up to the North Korean propaganda machine and deny them their opportunity to “hijack the message and imagery” of the Games, but the political story of the Games so far has been the continued signs of a significant thaw between Pyongyang and South Korea, the staunch U.S. ally.

On Friday, Pence insisted that the U.S. would remain opposed to talks between North and South Korea until North Korea agreed to discuss denuclearization. He also avoided the North Korean delegation, which included Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at a VIP reception for delegation leaders, when even Japanese president Shinzo Abe — no fan of North Korea — said hello. And Pence’s icy treatment continued at the opening ceremonies on Friday night. While President Moon and members of the North Korean delegation stood and applauded the temporarily unified team of South and North Korean athletes, Pence — who was sitting in the same VIP box in front of the North Korean delegation — remained seated and became an awkward photo bomber. Indeed, some experts are worried that Pence’s dour attitude toward the host nation’s team will just be seen as disrespectful.

It didn’t get better for Pence’s anti-thaw stance on Saturday either. President Moon welcomed Kim Yo-jong and another high-ranking North Korean official for lunch at the presidential residence, and she took the opportunity to extend an official invitation for Moon to visit North Korea.

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