Trump and Kim's body language might say more than the deal they signed


There's not much to derive from the ambiguous denuclearization deal President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un signed Tuesday. But the two leaders' historic handshake leaves a lot to unpack.
Trump took charge with a firm handshake and constantly touched Kim on the arm in a display of dominance, body language experts told The Washington Post. Kim avoided initiating contact or handshakes, which matched Korea's traditional deference to the elderly but also conveyed a humble position.
On Tuesday's episode of The Daily podcast, New York Times reporter Mark Landler pointed out that Kim fidgeted with the reading glasses he was holding. That only added to Kim's meekness and made Trump seem like the "senior partner" in the meeting.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Landler also broke down the optics of Trump and Kim's pre-conference plans. While Trump kept a low profile and met with Singapore's president the day before the historic summit, Kim went sightseeing and hit up a Sheldon Adelson-owned casino resort. There was an expectation that Kim would stay secluded, so this looked like a show of confidence to his own people, Landler said.
This meeting was all about image for both the leaders. Kim would've been satisfied with a picture of American and North Korean flags side by side, Landler said, while Trump is always out to impress. No word yet as to how Kim's personal toilet looked to his constituents.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
How Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral run will change the Democratic Party
Talking Points The candidate poses a challenge to the party's 'dinosaur wing'
-
Book reviews: '1861: The Lost Peace' and 'Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers'
Feature How America tried to avoid the Civil War and the link between lead pollution and serial killers
-
Brian Wilson: the troubled genius who powered the Beach Boys
Feature The musical giant passed away at 82
-
Supreme Court clears third-country deportations
Speed Read The court allowed Trump to temporarily resume deporting migrants to countries they aren't from
-
Judges order release of 2 high-profile migrants
Speed Read Kilmar Ábrego García is back in the US and Mahmoud Khalil is allowed to go home — for now
-
US assessing bomb damage to Iran nuclear sites
Speed Read Trump claims this weekend's US bombing obliterated Tehran's nuclear program, while JD Vance insists the US is 'not at war with Iran'
-
Trump's LA deployment in limbo after court rulings
Speed Read Judge Breyer ruled that Trump's National Guard deployment to Los Angeles was an 'illegal' overreach. But a federal appellate court halted the ruling.
-
Marines, National Guard in LA can detain Americans
speed read The troops have been authorized to detain anyone who interferes with immigration raids
-
Trump vows 'very big force' against parade protesters
Speed Read The parade, which will shut down much of the capital, will celebrate the US Army's 250th anniversary and Trump's 79th birthday
-
Smithsonian asserts its autonomy from Trump
speed read The DC institution defied Trump's firing of National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet
-
Trump sends Marines to LA, backs Newsom arrest
speed read California Gov. Gavin Newsom is filing lawsuits in response to Trump's escalation of the federal response to ICE protests