What North Korea thinks about Trump - according to the man who interprets his tweets for Kim Jong Un
Getty Images/Pool
Pak Song Il, the North Korean tasked with interpreting US politics, statements, and military posture, told Osnos during a trip to Pyongyang that Trump has thrown him for a loop.
"When he speaks, I have to figure out what he means, and what his next move will be," said Pak. "This is very difficult."
"He might be irrational-or too smart. We don't know," said Pak.
Of particular interest in North Korea was Trump's "fire and fury" comment, when he seemed to offhandedly suggest that further threats from North Korea would prompt its nuclear annihilation from the US.
According to Osnos, Pak figured Trump was employing a deceptive strategy "like the Chinese 'Art of War.'"
But North Korea acknowledges that unlike its own system, the US relies more on consensus than whims of the leader.
"Is the American public ready for war?" Pak asked Osnos. "Does the Congress want a war? Does the American military want a war? Because, if they want a war, then we must prepare for that."
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