South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem faced criticism for claiming to have visited North Korea and staring down Kim Jong Un in her new book. She defended her statement by citing a trip to the South Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ) as proof. The DMZ separates North and South Korea and is heavily fortified with military hardware and troops on both sides. American politicians rarely visit North Korea due to its notorious human rights abuses. Former President Donald Trump made history as the first sitting US president to enter North Korea, while a bipartisan delegation from Congress visited the Korean DMZ but did not cross into North Korea.
Noem, a former member of the House Armed Services Committee, claimed in her upcoming book to have met with Kim Jong Un, which was later revealed to be false. She insisted that she had met with many world leaders but refused to provide specifics. Noem admitted that there were mistakes in her book, which she promptly corrected after they were brought to her attention. Despite speculation that she could be a potential vice presidential pick for Donald Trump, sources close to the former president have cast doubt on that possibility.
During an interview on CBS “Face the Nation,” Noem was evasive when questioned about her meeting with Kim Jong Un and how she missed the error in her book while recording the audio version. She emphasized that she took immediate action to correct the inaccuracies in her book. Noem’s memoir is set to be released soon, but doubts have been raised about her credibility following the controversy surrounding her claims about visiting North Korea. Critics have pointed out that a photo posted by a former colleague shows Noem at the South Korean side of the DMZ, not in North Korea.
American politicians visiting North Korea is a rare occurrence, with only a few notable examples in recent years. Noem’s claim of meeting Kim Jong Un and visiting North Korea has been met with skepticism and scrutiny from the media and political commentators. Despite her attempts to clarify the situation and correct the errors in her book, the controversy surrounding her claims has raised questions about her credibility and qualifications for higher office. Noem’s future political aspirations may be affected by the fallout from this controversy, with some speculating that her chances of being chosen as a vice presidential candidate by Trump are now unlikely.
