# What would happen if Kim Jong Un Kidnapped Trump? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 10, 2018, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354 "2018-03-10T19:56:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/41 "2018-03-11T04:31:47Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Allowing the abduction of a bad president would set a bad precedent. I think the last election set a bad president… ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/42 "2018-03-11T04:47:55Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > It depends a bit on who does it and whether they get caught, but there’s a chance it results in at least the shelling / nuking of Seoul, so yeah, there’s a downside. Do you think so? I really doubt that whatever leadership emerged after Kim’s assassination would feel that avenging his death was a priority, when the only way they have to do achieve it would likely result in devastation to their own country. The cult of personality might play with the masses, but the rest of the leadership know it’s all bullshit. But I wasn’t asking the question because I thought the CIA should be tasked with the hit. It was more a question of Kim’s thought process. I think he may think this through and feel that we have nothing to lose by assassinating him. Which means he will back out of the meeting. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/43 "2018-03-11T05:01:11Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Has there been any word on meeting location? This can’t happen in Korea, surely? Nobody is going anywhere near N Korea, and I don’t think Kim is going south. China can’t work for a 2-way, it undermines them. The only place I can think of is Japan. Seems to me like the DMZ would be a more ideal location if this ever were to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/44 "2018-03-11T05:01:25Z")
Probably nothing. Look at all the stuff North Korea has done so far and gotten away with in the last ~60 years or so. [ul] [li]Tried to assassinate the president of South Korea by sending a commando squad into South Korea in 1968. [/li] [li]Kidnapped thousands of people from Japan and South Korea (one kidnapping victim said there were several European kidnap victims in North Korea too). [/li] [li]Engages in massive crimes. Manufacturing and selling opiates and meth on the international marketplace. Counterfeiting $100 bills. Massive insurance fraud scams. [/li] [li]Killed several US soldiers and South Korean soldiers without any retaliation during various disputes. [/li] [li]Sold nuclear technology to Syria, Libya, Myanmar. Worked with Iran to build nukes. Sold chemical weapons to Syria.[/li][/ul] We can all sit here and say ‘this would be war’, but the reality is North Korea has already killed and kidnapped a lot of people from the US, South Korea & Japan and nobody does anything. They’ve tried to assassinate the president of South Korea and nobody did anything. Also in 1993, Saddam Hussein supported an effort to have George HW Bush assassinated in Kuwait. The US fired a few cruise missiles. This may have played a role in W Bush’s decision to go to war in 2003, but still the US response was cruise missiles to an attempted assassination of a US president. Based on precedent, I’m going to say the US would respond with harsh words and little action. Maybe we bomb a few of Kim’s palaces and military installations. But that is about it. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/45 "2018-03-11T05:22:14Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Seems to me like the DMZ would be a more ideal location if this ever were to happen. I don’t think a place where two armies are essentially in a permanent tense stand-off is suitable. I think Kim might be willing to do it there, but not Trump. It’s not a secure location for our beloved Pres. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/46 "2018-03-11T05:45:58Z")
Discussion of locations for the big meeting, should it occur. > **[ANALYSIS: Where Trump may meet Kim](https://abcnews.go.com/International/analysis-trump-meet-kim/story?id=53636067)** Some wags are saying that Putin would be happy to host the talks in Moscow. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/47 "2018-03-11T05:56:21Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Discussion of locations for the big meeting, should it occur. Interesting, thanks. I guess if Kim feels ok with leaving home, there are many possibilities. I was skeptical about Beijing because they didn’t broker the thing in the first place, and it feels like they are losing face by just hosting these two narcissists preening their feathers. But maybe that’s too superficial and the big picture of stabilizing the peninsula is too important. China is the most important other player in any agreement that comes out of it, so politically it’s the logical place. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/48 "2018-03-11T05:57:53Z")
Nah, I’d think fat boy would be more likely to send the old Soviet Body Double to South Korea to meet with Trump, then nuke the place. I’d almost think it more likely that Trump would do his infamous arm jerk handshake on Kim then grab him and start screaming “I got him! I captured Kim Jong-Un. Get some police in here!” Then later blame the South Koreans for letting him go. After he had singlehandedly solved the North Korea problem by capturing Kim Jung Un! ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/49 "2018-03-11T06:19:13Z")
I don’t believe they will ever meet. It will get bogged down. If there is anyone left in the Whitehouse with more than shit for brains, that is. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/50 "2018-03-11T06:41:49Z")
I would imagine there would actually BE Muslims celebrating in the streets ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/51 "2018-03-11T07:32:42Z")
Is this meeting an actual real thing that is going to happen or did someone tell Trump that Jong-Un kinda-sorta said that they could possibly sit down sometime (amidst the ashes of the running dog lackeys of the imperialist puppet-masters of course) and Trump’s instant reaction was to start singing “Call Me Maybe”? ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/52 "2018-03-11T07:51:47Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > The Dear Leader has been known to not let his guests leave when they want to. > [@Smapti](#): > > Point of order; his surname is “Kim”. “Jong-Un” is his personal name. Another point of order: It’s his father, Kim Jong-Il, who had the reputation for refusing to innocent visitors go, or abducting them in the first place. Third point of order: “Dear Leader” is the name the North Koreans give to Kim Jong-Il, not Kim Jong-Un. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/53 "2018-03-11T08:34:13Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > I don’t think a place where two armies are essentially in a permanent tense stand-off is suitable. I think Kim might be willing to do it there, but not Trump. It’s not a secure location for our beloved Pres. Trump isn’t safe in North Korea. Kim isn’t safe anywhere _except_ North Korea. The presidents of both states have visited the DMZ before, just not at the same time as each other. The MAC room is realistically the only place where both parties can be assured that the other isn’t going to try anything. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/54 "2018-03-11T08:41:07Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > Is this meeting an actual real thing that is going to happen or did someone tell Trump that Jong-Un kinda-sorta said that they could possibly sit down sometime (amidst the ashes of the running dog lackeys of the imperialist puppet-masters of course) and Trump’s instant reaction was to start singing “Call Me Maybe”? [The latter, pretty much.](http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/03/never-mind-the-north-korea-meeting-trump-was-just-babbling.html) > [@](#): > > South Korean official Chung Eui-Yong was in the White House yesterday meeting with other officials. Trump decided to see Chung right away; maybe Fox News was in repeats or something. Trump “then asked Mr. Chung to tell him about his meeting with Mr. Kim,” reports the New York Times. “When Mr. Chung said that the North Korean leader had expressed a desire to meet Mr. Trump, the president immediately said he would do it, and directed Mr. Chung to announce it to the White House press corps.” ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/55 "2018-03-11T09:46:56Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Point of order; his surname is “Kim”. “Jong-Un” is his personal name. Korean names are so strange. When I heard that Kim Jong Il had been the President of N. Korea in the 90’s, and that he had an idiot son who also became President, I naturally assumed that the son’s name was Kim W. Il. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/56 "2018-03-11T10:12:33Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Trump isn’t safe in North Korea. Kim isn’t safe anywhere _except_ North Korea. The presidents of both states have visited the DMZ before, just not at the same time as each other. The MAC room is realistically the only place where both parties can be assured that the other isn’t going to try anything. Kim is actually going to enter South Korea (barely) next month. The Inter-Korean summit is going to be at the Peace House, which is entirely inside South Korea’s part of the Joint Security Area. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/57 "2018-03-11T10:20:29Z")
Japan - the former colonial power? Hardly fits with the Family Kim legend going back to 1945. If it ever happens, it might be on the demarcation line like other meetings between the military that have taken place there. Kim is probably more paranoid about risking leaving North Korea himself. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/58 "2018-03-11T10:29:34Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Kim is actually going to enter South Korea (barely) next month. The Inter-Korean summit is going to be at the Peace House, which is entirely inside South Korea’s part of the Joint Security Area. That’s still in the DMZ, right? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/59 "2018-03-11T11:21:33Z")
I can envision a scenario where Kim thinks it would be to his advantage to negotiate with Trump to seriously reduce the NK nuclear arsenal. (Think hoodwink here.) Can you imagine what this would do to Trump’s approval ratings, or how he would go down in history as a result? Trump would forever be boasting of his incredible negotiation skills. We’d never hear the end of it. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354/60 "2018-03-11T13:40:36Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Pretty much word for word what I was thinking. We can’t allow other countries to kidnap our President, even if he is a really bad President. Why not? We’re allowing other countries to help get them elected in the first place, and nobody seems to care. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-kim-jong-un-kidnapped-trump/810354.md?page=4)