Coin marking nuclear talks that might not happen yet criticised as premature and giving Kim Jong-un unwarranted status

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Stony faced, Donald Trump stares down a smiling Kim Jong-un in a high-stakes scene, unfolding entirely on the surface of a coin.



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The commemorative piece was minted by the White House Military Office, which typically designs coins for Trump’s trips abroad, before an expected summit between the two leaders in Singapore on 12 June. The coin describes the meeting as “peace talks”, in English and Korean.

It is only a small element of America’s recent rapprochement with North Korea but it appeared to gain a currency all its own on social media.

Olivier Knox (@OKnox) That Trump/Kim « coin » reminds me of my best souvenir ever, this heart-shaped lighter with GWB and Saddam (the fighter clicks up to reveal the flame). pic.twitter.com/WlhHmvszft

It would be the first summit between a sitting US president and the leader of North Korea, if the meeting happens at all. Trump has said repeatedly he might pull out, and that scenario became more likely last week as the two governments traded heated words.

Many observers were worried the coin might send the wrong message.

Robert E Kelly (@Robert_E_Kelly) Pretty sure they made a typo on the right side there. I’m happy to help; it’s spelled “Orwellian Gangster Tyrant Kim Jong-Un.” You might to update that for future pressings for Hannity and the fellas.

The Kim family has long constructed an elaborate cult of personality around its male members, and loyal Workers’ party members often wear a badge with portraits of the country’s founder, Kim Il-sung, and his son Kim Jong-il. Similar portraits hang in homes and schools.

Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) Not only is this premature, but it's exactly the sort of legitimacy Kim Jong Un was hoping for out of this dumpster fire of an idea. https://t.co/0I8E0Bvlgu

Trump has reportedly been focusing on the pageantry of the summit rather than immersing himself in detailed briefings on the complex issue of North Korea’s nuclear program. He has been particularly interested in suspense-filled announcements that could come out of the meeting, according to the Associated Press.

Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) There’s no way a president pre-pressing a challenge coin to commemorate a not-yet-held summit with the North Koreans could ever go wrong https://t.co/r2YkgGyb3u

The coin announces Kim’s title as “supreme leader”, despite there being no official position with that name in North Korea. Kim is usually referred to as chairman of the state affairs commission in state media, while he is also chairman of the ruling party.