North and South Korean officials yesterday "tested a special hotline for the first time in almost two years" to discuss North Korea's "possible participation" in the Pyeongchang Games. This came after a New Year’s Day "suggestion by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that he would be open to talks" (WSJ.com, 1/3).
Comedy Central’s Trevor Noah lampooned Kim Jong Un for threatening the U.S. shortly after his Olympic comments. Noah: “I love Kim Jong Un. He’s the only guy I know who will threaten nuclear destruction and RSVP to an event in the same speech. He’s just like, ‘I've got a bomb and also I’m going to come to the Olympics.’ That’s like a guy walking into his office (and saying), ‘Nobody move! I have a bomb strapped to my chest! Oh and Cynthia, put me down for that pot luck on Saturday please’” (“The Daily Show,” Comedy Central, 1/2). CBS’ Stephen Colbert: "There are even rumors that North Korea has been pumping their Olympic team with performance-enhancing food” (“The Late Show,” CBS, 1/2).
Meanwhile, S.F. CHRONICLE cartoonist Signe Wilkinson contrasts the competitive spectacle of the Winter Games with the persistent nuclear threats from North Korea.
