Media praises Trump talk about withdrawing US troops from ROK
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has backed presumptive US Republican nominee Donald Trump with a website praising him as "a prescient presidential candidate" who vowed to rethink and possibly withdraw US troops from the Republic of Korea.
The DPRK Today started off the Trump praise on Tuesday by juxtaposing the "wise" Trump with what it called "dull Hillary" - describing leading Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton by her first name.
In the column, Trump was described as a "wise politician and presidential candidate with foresight" for his comments about the US potentially withdrawing its troops if Seoul doesn't bear the costs. It also noted his public willingness to directly talk with the DPRK leadership if he becomes president.
Clinton, the column said, is "dull" for promising to pursue an "Iran-type model" to solve nuclear issues with the DPRK.
Trump told The New York Times in March that the ROK and Japan should pay much more for the US troops based in their countries - about 28,000 troops in the ROK and around 50,000 in Japan. In a more recent interview with the Reuters news agency, Trump said he was willing to meet with Kim Jung-un.
"I would speak to him, I would have no problem speaking to him," he said.
Pyongyang sees the US troops in the ROK as a direct threat and has long wanted talks with Washington.
"There are many positive aspects to take away from Trump's inflammatory campaign promises'," the writer said in the DPRK Today column, pointing out Trump's indications that Seoul should pay "100 percent" of the cost for the US troops stationed in the ROK and, if not, Washington should pull them out.
The ruling party's official Rodong Sinmun editorial said the emergence of Trump is causing anxiety in the ROK because of his comments about the potential US troop withdrawal.
It said the ROK government should stop living as a servant of foreign forces and come back to the side of the Korean nation, but didn't comment directly on Trump as a candidate.
(China Daily 06/02/2016 page12)