The leader of the secretive state has managed to dominate international headlines for consecutive months now. As North Korea's relationships with the outside world continue to disintegrate, some of the West's biggest powerhouses are experiencing great pressure to rein in the threat that Kim Jong-un appears so intent on leveling. However, it's clear that the greatest threat that Kim Jong-un poses is not to us, but to his loyal subjects, who are indoctrinated since birth to be loyal to the personality cult of the Kim dynasty. Not only does the North Korean schooling system aim to produce citizens that are faithful to the teachings of "Generalissimo Kim Il-sung and Commander Kim Jong-il", but they are taught since kindergarten to hate the state's enemies, namely, American imperialists, Japanese militarists and, of course, South Korea (the so called "gang of traitors"). But according to intelligence briefings given to South Korean lawmakers on Monday, Kim Jong-un is intent on finding new ways to subjugate the population. Certainly, he has reportedly banned gatherings that involve singing and drinking in a bid to increase control over his subjects. North Korea's despotic leader has purportedly banned gatherings which involve drinking and singing to gain control over his subjects, and also to limit the impact of crushing economic sanctions imposed on the country. The sanctions were imposed by Western powers in response to North Korea's ongoing commitment to developing nuclear devices and ballistic missiles. Speaking on the subject, the South Korean National Intelligence Service asserted: "[Pyongyang] has banned any gatherings related to drinking, singing and other entertainment and is strengthening control of outside information." The South Korean Intelligence Service also reported that two top-ranking officials were punished after Kim Jong-un ordered an inspection of the military's General Political Bureau, whose aim is to ensure that soldiers are adhering to the party line. The bureau's chief, Hwang Pyong So, and his deputy, Kim Won Hong, were allegedly the reprimanded officers. While the scope of the punishment remains unclear, experts believe that it could be indicative of an emerging power struggle between the North Korean leader's inner circle. The South Korean Intelligence Service also said that they are monitoring closely for new missile launches in North Korea. They stated:

"The agency is closely following the developments because there is a possibility that North Korea could fire an array of ballistic missiles this year under the name of a satellite launch and peaceful development of space."

This is just the latest move made by the leader of the hermit state to limit the already controlled conditions that the population lives under. Largely believed to be one of the most repressive, authoritarian states in the world; King Jong Un maintains dominance by curtailing travel abroad and by enforcing public executions, forced labour and arbitrary detention.

While such limitations may appear absurd and farcical to us citizens of the Western world, it's clear that this is very much a reality for the people of North Korea. And as such, their strife should remain at the forefront when discussing matters related to Kim Jong Un's regime.

In related news, Donald Trump has been "sentenced to death" by North Korea...

For months now, the delicate situation on the Korean peninsula has been slowly escalating. No longer mere verbal barbs, now military exercises and missile tests have come to dominate the landscape on the Korean peninsula, though the consistently bombastic rhetoric emanating from both the United States and North Korea has hardly served to temper their increasingly fraught relations. The United States has been consistently condemnatory of North Korea's missile testing programme, which flies in the face of sanctions from several countries and international bodies, while the North has cast America as the provocateur in return. UN sanctions appear to have had no effect on Pyongyang's military ambitions, and President Trump has grown frustrated with President Xi Jinping of China's inability to restrain Kim Jong-un. Indeed, the North has done nothing to suggest that it intends to temper its military ambitions, in particular its widely decried nuclear testing programme. It was with dismay that the world learned of North Korea's test firing of a missile that flew over Japan, a move that was blasted as an "unprecedented, serious and grave threat" in Tokyo. Despite some in the US believing that UN sanctions on North Korea are having little to no effect on Kim Jong-un's military ambitions, a new wave of UN restrictions were imposed, described by Pyongyang as "the most vicious, unethical and inhumane act of hostility" which aimed to "physically exterminate" their people. Now, in an apparent show of military strength, several US jets joined with four South Korean fighters to conduct "routine" exercises intended to "'improve their joint operation capabilities against contingencies". The move seems highly likely to infuriate Kim Jong-un, as North Korea has responded angrily to joint US/South Korean military exercises in the past. Mere hours after Pyongyang's missile fire over Japan earlier this month, it was reported that South Korea had dropped eight MK-84 bombs close to the country's border with North Korea in a show of military strength. The Independent says that President Moon Jae-In "ordered the strike, by four F-15K fighter-bombers, at a firing range in the country's east to 'display a strong capability to punish' North Korea if it were to attack." Meanwhile, President Trump - who earlier this summer promised "fire and fury" if North Korea did not curtail its military initiatives, took to his preferred communicative medium of Twitter to seemingly dub Kim Jong-un "Rocket Man" in a bizarre tweet that read in full "I spoke with President Moon of South Korea last night. Asked him how Rocket Man is doing. Long gas lines forming in North Korea. Too bad!" [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/909384837018112000]] World leaders and onlookers alike will be hoping that a peaceful solution could yet be found for what appears to be an increasingly fraught situation on the Korean peninsula. With the United States determined for Kim Jong-un to temper his military ambitions, and North Korea casting the US as the chief provocateur, though, that solution seems as far away as ever.

Last week, during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, two celebrity lookalikes turned up to mingle with the crowd. One of them had striking yellow hair, a red baseball cap, and a stern look on his face, while the other - a slightly shorter man - was dressed in all black, had slick-backed hair, and sported a pair of glasses. They were, of course, supposed to be Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. Unfortunately, their antics didn't last long, and the pair were kicked out before the ceremony was even over. But, during yesterday's events, the North Korean dictator's doppelgänger resurfaced - this time to parade in front of a group of cheerleaders. And they weren't impressed. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/getyerfix/status/963828319291658241]] The 230-member cheerleader squad had previously attracted a lot of attention due to their mesmerizing performances at the games, and have been dubbed, "the army of beauties". However, when a lookalike of their dear leader showed up during a hockey match between Korea and Japan, their faces soon turned sour. Kim (whose real name is reportedly "Howard") paraded in front of the group before dancing, posing for photos, and shaking hands with members of the crowd. All the while, the cheerleaders' surly expressions were caught on camera. However, his fun was cut short when members of security forced him to leave. "They shouted something in Korean, I wasn't sure what it was," said Howard, "and then the police got involved and they dragged me away – they said for my own safety." Here's a clip of the totalitarian twin being ushered away from the crowd: [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/Vinncent/status/963706291523747841]] "This is crazy," said Howard as he was led out of the arena. "What do we have, 10 policemen? What do you think I'm going to do? I don't bring violence. I just want to see the game, so what's the problem? "I just want to see the game, so what's the problem? I'm about to miss my game." While it's illegal to impersonate Kim Jong Un in North Korea, Howard insisted that he was well within his rights to do his shtick in the democratic south.

"South Korea is a democracy with freedom of speech. It's very important to remind the world that you can't let North Korea hijack these games with their cheer squad and everything like that. It's a terrible regime," he said. "And, as an Aussie impersonator, I'm going to take the p**s out of it."

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/XHSports/status/963287146948829184]] Despite getting such a frosty reception from security, however, Howard did say he saw some of the cheerleaders giggling at his chants of "we are one!" and "Unify the motherland!" "It shows you we’re human after all," he said of the cheerleaders' behavior. "Doesn’t matter if they’re South or North Koreans, a sense of humor and a bit of political satire is always needed." As funny as his act may seem, Howard is right in saying that his impersonation is a demonstration of freedom of speech. While the spotlight is on North Korea during the Olympics, it's important to remember the nation's atrocities - and hopefully encourage others to do something about it.

Donald Trump has defied convention at practically every turn since gaining the office of the Presidency.

Indeed, his win itself was a monumental shock; a seeming piece of illogic that flew in the face of pollsters who had misread the public mood so devastatingly wrongly. Much has happened since that day; executive orders, polarizing policies and the continuing investigation into members of the Trump campaign team's links to Russian officials - one scandal the President has not managed to shake off with quite the same alacrity as others from his campaign trail.

Then, mere months ago, the world was holding its breath as Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong-Un staggered along a seemingly inexorable path towards a disastrous war, only, incredibly, to actually meet each other face to face in Singapore last month.

Lest we forget, it was only recently that the pair were trading barbs via the press and, in Trump's case, on his favoured communicative medium of Twitter, on which he referred to Kim Jong-Un as "Little Rocket Man" - referencing North Korea's missile tests.

The tone Trump had taken on the Korean peninsula seemed sure to spell only disaster, but now it seems that the pair are on such good terms that the President of the United States is reportedly sending Kim Jong-Un a present. And it's bizarre.

South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reports that secretary of state Mike Pompeo will bring a letter and gift from Donald Trump to Kim Jong-Un to a meeting in Pyongyang. The gift? Supposedly, it is an Elton John CD which features - you guessed it - Rocket Man. What's more, the CD is said to have been signed by Trump himself.

The newspaper claims that the nickname was brought up in the pair's Singapore meeting last month, at which point Trump apparently asked his counterpart if he knew the song. Kim replied that he didn't and, somehow, here we are. If only the President put as much thought into his gifts for Melania.

Pompeo tweetd about his visit to Pyongyang, but admittedly made no reference to the reported gift, writing;

"Next stop: Pyongyang. I look forward to continuing my meetings with North Korean leaders. There's much hard work ahead but peace is worth the effort."

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In a statement cited by CBS news, Pompeo expanded;

“On this trip, I’m seeking to fill in some details on those commitments and continue the momentum toward implementation of what the two leaders promised each other and the world".

Let's hope the two countries can work towards a peaceful solution that, until extremely recently, looked to be almost impossible to achieve in the wake of ill-advised militaristic rhetoric and provocation that threatened to escalate tensions on the Korean peninsula past breaking point.

Trump has made a lot of controversial decisions during his time in office. His ongoing claims that he's going to "build a wall" along the southern border, his recent support of Brett Kavanuagh, and his racist policies against immigrants from so-called "s***hole countries" - to name but a few - have left him at the mercy of critics over the past couple of years.

But it is his strange relationship with the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un, that continues to baffle both his supporters and opponents alike.

At the beginning of his presidency, Trump appeared to have settled on taking a hardline approach towards Kim. In one tweet about the leader in 2017, the former television personality said: "Kim Jong Un of North Korea, who is obviously a madman who doesn't mind killing or starving his people, will be tested like never before!"

In return, Kim seemed equally aggressive towards the US president, and proclaimed last year:

"Now that Trump has denied the existence of and insulted me and my country in front of the eyes of the world and made the most ferocious declaration of a war in history that he would destroy the DPRK, we will consider with seriousness exercising of a corresponding, highest level of hard-line countermeasure in history.

"Action is the best option in treating the dotard who, hard of hearing, is uttering only what he wants to say ... I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire."

However, that all changed when the two had a face-to-face meeting earlier this year.

"We will be stopping the war games [with South Korea] which will save us a tremendous amount of money," Trump said after their meeting. "It is very provocative."

Since then, the pair have stopped hurling insults at one another via social media and instead taken on a more diplomatic approach to international relations.

But, if Trump's most recent comments at a rally last night in West Virginia are to be believed, the nature of their relationship has not just changed - it's made a complete U-turn.

"I was really being tough and so was he," Trump told his supporters. "And we would go back and forth. And then we fell in love. No really. He wrote me beautiful letters. They were great letters. And then we fell in love."

The outrageous claim was amusing to many people, confusing for others, and downright worrying for anyone who is concerned about Trump's priorities in dealing with leaders like Kim.

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The contents of the letters that Trump mentioned is not known but, given the change of heart Trump has had over just a period of months, they must have been pretty special.

"I feel really great," Trump once said when asked how he felt his progress with Kim was going. "We’re going to have a great discussion and, I think, tremendous success. It will be tremendously successful. And it’s my honour. And we will have a terrific relationship, I have no doubt."

Whether or not Trump's love for Kim lasts remains to be seen, but, for now, it's something we should all be very wary of.