Games didn’t warm White House view of North Korea
PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA » Political symbolism has been difficult to ignore at the XXIII Olympic Winter Games.
It has been there from the opening ceremony march of North and South Koreans under a unification flag to the women’s hockey team including players from the Peninsula’s neighbors who have been at odds for six decades.
The imagery continued Friday when three U.S. athletes joined three compatriots from South Korea to sit with a White House delegation bundled in red, white and blue parkas for the new Big Air snowboard competition.
The representation was meant to showcase the bond between the United States and South Korea at a time President Donald Trump is attempting to pressure Pyongyang into backing away from an aggressive nuclear program.
The delegation’s arrival coincided with the announcement of more economic sanctions against Kim Jong Un’s regime that includes blocking vessels and shipping companies that work on North Korea’s behalf.
First daughter Ivanka Trump leads the American delegation that is using its attendance to the closing ceremony Sunday to reaffirm President Trump’s call for a “maximum pressure campaign” to denuclearize North Korea.
The group also planned to
watch the U.S. men in their historic first gold-medal match in curling later Saturday (Friday night, Pacific) as well as the final events of long-track speedskating.
They watched Kyle Mack finish second at the Big Air competition at the Alpensia Ski Jumping Center. American Chris Corning was fourth followed by teammate Red Gerard in fifth.
“We bring a message of peace and tranquility,” Senator James Risch, R-Idaho said at a news conference.
The senator joined joined White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in USA House at the Yongpyong Resort that is nestled in the Baekdudaegan Mountains.
“This is a chance to celebrate as all of the people on the planet gather and participate in the Games that have preset rules in a civilized fashion,” Risch said as recreational skiers trudged past on the snowy plain outside.
The delegates also used the occasion to praise the Olympic host country for being a role model for the rest of the world as one of the fastest-developing democracies.
“There is no daylight between us,” Risch said of the stance against North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.
While the talk on the Korean Peninsula has centered on the snowboard, skiing, hockey and figure skating the past two-plus weeks, the widening rift between Washington and Pyongyang remains central to the geopolitical landscape.
Every gesture by all sides has been closely scrutinized, starting two weeks ago during Vice President Mike Pence’s appearance at the opening ceremony alongside Jong Un’s sister who was seated next to him and his wife.
They parties never had contact. None is scheduled this weekend, Huckabee Sanders said.
“Any conversation we would have would consist of the same message we already represented publicly,” she said. “Until we see some movement and some dencularization of the Peninsula then there’s not a lot of us to talk about.”
Huckabee Sanders added the administration plans to continue to pressure North Korea’s leaders through economic hardship.
“Hopefully we will see a change on behalf of the North Koreans to denuclearize the Peninsula,” she said. “The President won’t be soft or weak.”
The press secretary declined to lay out specific next steps, but said it is “pretty likely” the United States and South Korea would return to its joint military operations once the Olympics end Sunday.
“We can’t ignore the situation,” Risch said. “We’re here to celebrate the Olympics, but obviously it is the elephant in the room.”
Huckabee Sanders also declined to address the Russian drug scandal and International Olympic Committee sanctions. But she said the Administration is reviewing ways to improve the safety and well-being of children in the aftermath of the U.S. Gymnastics episode that became a national conversation piece after physician Larry Nassar was found to sexually abuse scores of athletes, including some of America’s most famous Olympians.
This month, the Orange County Register reported that USA Swimming officials have ignored or covered up hundreds of sexual abuse cases involving coaches and others in positions of power to escalate the concern over the way U.S. sporting officials train their athletes.
“Any time there is an abuse it has to be taken absolutely seriously,” Huckabee Sanders said. “It causes great concern not just for the Administration but for the Olympics Games and for young athletes that want to be participants at a higher level. We need to figure out the best way to prevent that from happening.”