North Korean state media have adopted a relatively respectful tone when referring to President Donald Trump, marking a sharp contrast to the harsh language previously used to address U.S. presidents during periods of tension. Despite ongoing strain in U.S.-North Korea relations, this shift has spurred speculation about a special bond between Kim Jong Un and President Trump.
On Tuesday, Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea’s ruling party, published an article titled, Rejecting U.S. Pressure Tactics. The piece, which discussed American reactions to India’s oil trade with Russia, referred to Trump as the U.S. ruler.
The newspaper reported that the U.S. ruler threatened in July that India would face additional penalties if it purchased Russian weapons and oil. Further adding that recently, he claimed that India would no longer buy Russian oil.
The article continued that, however, sources within the Indian government have indicated that they will continue purchasing Russian oil despite U.S. threats. Further mentioning that on August 1, an Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasized that India has a long-standing, proven partnership with Russia.
Since the beginning of Trump’s second term in January, Rodong Sinmun has used the term U.S. ruler ten times. These reports primarily covered international issues, including Trump’s trade wars, travel bans on citizens from specific countries, and the situation in Iran.
On January 22, just three days after Trump’s inauguration, the newspaper briefly reported that Trump had been inaugurated as president in the U.S. Given Rodong Sinmun’s wide readership, analysts suggest that this coverage has likely influenced public perception, leading many to believe that North Korean authorities are not taking an aggressive stance toward President Trump.
On July 29, Kim Yo Jong, deputy director of the Workers’ Party, issued a statement regarding the U.S. through the Korean Central News Agency. Although confrontational in tone, this statement was published only online, making it inaccessible to the general public, and it was not disseminated through more widely available media such as newspapers or Korean Central Television.
During Joe Biden’s administration, North Korean media fiercely criticized the former U.S. president using derogatory terms such as senile, old fool, and Yankee. However, such rhetoric has disappeared since Trump took office. This change likely reflects the fact that Trump and Kim Jong Un held their first summit in 2018 and that both leaders continue to acknowledge their personal rapport.
Some analysts believe that North Korea is exercising restraint to avoid unnecessarily provoking the U.S., keeping potential future dialogue in mind. In her statement, Kim Yo Jong remarked that she does not wish to deny the fact that the personal relationship between their leader and the current U.S. president is not bad.
A Unification Ministry official commented on Rodong Sinmun’s use of the term U.S. ruler, stating that since the start of Trump’s second term, there has been a very cautious attitude in the expressions used to refer to the U.S. compared to previous periods.