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Photo Of Mike Pence Sitting Uncomfortably Close To Kim Jong Un’s Sister Emerge Online

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The United States’ official envoy to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Koea: Vice President Mike Pence, a man who reminds everyone who looks at him of winter sports, what with his white-haired head that looks like some sort of snow-topped skiing mountain or figure skating rink.

Going to the Olympics on behalf of the U.S. is as vice-presidential a job as there ever was: important, but not too important—purely ceremonial, in other words. Nevertheless, Pence somehow managed to find himself embroiled in controversy, despite being thousands of miles from his boss and this being just a sports thing. (He reached out to openly gay figure skater Adam Rippon for a “conversation,” which Rippon rejected because of Pence’s past connections with the “gay conversion therapy” movement,.”)

Anyway, Pence pressed on, attending the always flashy and dazzling Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics, and photographs show him doing that staring-out-into-the-distance thing that politicians do when they want to look like they’re proud and moved. Pence seems lost in the pride and glory of the parade of athletes walking by in front of him, and seemingly has no idea that seated just one row and four seats over is a young woman named Kim Yo Yang

Somebody call Karen Pence, or “Mother” as the veep calls her, because he’s too close to a woman that isn’t his wife! Also, Kim Yo Yang is the sister of North Korea’s dear leader Kim Jong-un.

NPR’s Asia correspondent Elise Hu broke it all down.