Former President Donald Trump on Friday congratulated dictator Kim Jong Un after North Korea was elected to serve on the World Health Organization's (WHO) executive board.
What Happened: On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump misspelled the name of North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un while congratulating him. He wrote, "Congratulations to Kim Jung Un!"
Trump’s post linked to an article about Dr. Jong Min Pak from Pyongyang’s Ministry of Public Health, who has been appointed to the WHO’s executive board with a term lasting until 2026.
Despite Trump's congratulatory message to Kim, the article he shared in his post actually criticized the WHO for its perceived disregard of the extensive history of severe human rights abuses committed by Kim Jong Un, his father, and his grandfather.
Why It Matters: Trump has often boasted about his close relationship with the North Korean dictator and the "love letters" Kim had written to him during his time in the White House. In 2019, he met with Kim and became the first sitting U.S. president to set foot in North Korea. "Stepping across that line was a great honor," Trump said back then.
Meanwhile, North Korea taking up a leading role at the WHO was sharply criticized by GOP presidential candidate and Trump's primary rival in the U.S. 2024 elections, Nikki Haley. She also served as U.N. ambassador during Trump's time at the White House.
See Also: US Should Tell Kim Jong Un That Washington Will Use Nuclear Weapons Without ‘Hesitation:’ Trump-Era National Security Chief
"Kim Jong Un starves his own people. It's a total farce that North Korea has a leading role at the World Health Organization," Haley tweeted.
Read Also: Kim Jong Un's Mouthpiece Slams US-South Korea Summit: May Trigger ‘Worst-Ever…Nuclear War'
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