Trump's national security adviser thinks Kim Jong Un's family name is Un
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.
North Korea has reportedly been ramping up missile tests in the past few weeks, and promised to deliver a "Christmas gift" to the U.S. if denuclearization talks continued to stall. Christmas passed without any sign of a missile launch or attack, and O'Brien said Sunday that Kim may have reconsidered his threat. Still, "we always monitor the situation" because "Chairman Un has said that there would be something over Christmas," O'Brien said.
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.
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.
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.
-
Political cartoons for December 20Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include drowning rats, the ACA, and more
-
5 fairly vain cartoons about Vanity Fair’s interviews with Susie WilesCartoon Artists take on demolition derby, alcoholic personality, and more
-
Joanna Trollope: novelist who had a No. 1 bestseller with The Rector’s WifeIn the Spotlight Trollope found fame with intelligent novels about the dramas and dilemmas of modern women
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
-
Kushner drops Trump hotel project in SerbiaSpeed Read Affinity Partners pulled out of a deal to finance a Trump-branded development in Belgrade
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
