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Kim Jong Un Climbs Mountain, Threatens to 'Strike the World With Wonder'

William Gallo

   SEOUL - North Korean state media on Wednesday posted a slideshow of
   leader Kim Jong Un scaling the country's highest mountain on horseback,
   and suggested the display means he is considering a major decision.

   The photos, posted in the Korean Central News Agency, showed Kim
   wearing a puffy tan overcoat and glasses, sitting atop a white horse
   whose bridle and harness appeared to be covered in sparkling, silver
   gemstones.

   The photoshoot was conducted on the snow-covered Paektu Mountain, where
   Kim's father, the late Kim Jong Il, is said to have been born,
   according to North Korea's official mythology.

   KCNA said Kim's march on horseback during the first snow of the season
   is a "great event of weighty importance," noting he was accompanied by
   several senior North Korean officials.

   "Having witnessed the great moments of his thinking atop Mt. Paektu,
   all the officials accompanying him were convinced with overflowing
   emotion and joy that there will be a great operation to strike the
   world with wonder again and make a step forward in the Korean
   revolution," KCNA reported.

   Since taking power in 2011, Kim has visited the mountain on several
   occasions, often before making key decisions, such as having his uncle
   executed in 2013. His previous visit came in December 2017, just before
   Kim pivoted toward diplomacy with the United States and South Korea,
   noted South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

   The visit also has important domestic purposes, said Andray Abrahamian,
   a visiting scholar at George Mason University Korea.

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