N. Korea Media Praise 'Wise' Trump

Donald Trump appears to be finding some friends in North Korea. The presumptive GOP nominee has been getting good press this week in the North's carefully controlled media, first in an opinion piece that praised him as "wise" and full of foresight and then Wednesday in the official mouthpiece of the ruling Workers' Party itself. Both articles noted how his suggestions that he would be willing to meet leader Kim Jong Un and wants to rethink and possibly withdraw US troops from South Korea have created a "Trump Shock" in Seoul, the AP reports.

The state-run DPRK Today in Pyongyang started off the Trump praise by juxtaposing the "wise" Trump with what it called a "dull" Hillary Clinton. "There are many 'positive aspects' to take away from Trump's 'inflammatory campaign promises,'" the writer says, pointing out Trump's indications that Seoul should pay "100%" of the cost for US troops stationed in the South and, if not, Washington should pull them out. "Yes, go away, now!" it says. "Who knew that the 'Yankee Go Home' slogan we shouted so enthusiastically could come true so easily like this?" While not as overtly supportive as the DPRK Today column, the ruling party's official Rodong Sinmun editorial said the emergence of Trump is causing anxiety in South Korea because of his comments about the potential US troop withdrawal. (Stephen Hawking says he can't explain Trump.)