Trump's national security adviser thinks Kim Jong Un's family name is Un

Kim Jong Un.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

A national security adviser should probably know what to call the most notorious dictator in the world.

But President Trump's national security adviser Robert O'Brien seemed unsure of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's name in a Sunday interview with ABC News' Jon Karl. When asked about North Korea's threatened "Christmas gift" that failed to materialize, O'Brien referred to Kim as "Chairman Un," which is not how he's supposed to be acknowledged.

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That's where O'Brien swapped Kim's family name for his given name — Chairman Kim would've been the right way of putting it. O'Brien may want a quick refresher on how Korean and other east Asian names work in case he ends up succeeding Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who may step down to run for Senate in Kansas.

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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.