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George Wendt’s mistaken jabs at John Boehner link ‘Cheers’ and Ohio politics

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There was no mistake when the beloved but forlorn accountant Norm Peterson chugged his way into the fictional TV bar «Cheers.»

«Norm!!!» hollered the regulars in unison, ranging from mail carrier Cliff Clavin to «Mayday» Sam Malone, the former Major League pitcher-turned barkeep.

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If only former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, or late Rep. Buz Lukens, R-Ohio, had been as recognizable to George Wendt, the actor who played Norm on the sitcom.

REMEMBERING REP. CHARLIE RANGEL — AND A VOICEMAIL I’LL NEVER FORGET

Wendt died last week at age 76. The portly, everyman, «Willy Loman» character Wendt created was one of the most iconic in the history of comedic television. Wendt’s portrayal of Norm earned him six consecutive Emmy nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a primetime series.

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But during Boehner’s first race for Congress in 1990, Wendt inadvertently manufactured a bizarre and permanent connection to the future Speaker of the House.

In 1989, Lukens represented Ohio’s 8th Congressional District. But WSYX-TV in Columbus, Ohio, secretly recorded Lukens at a McDonald’s speaking with the mother of a teenage girl. Lukens talked to the woman about getting her a government job. He hoped to keep her quiet about his sexual activities with her daughter.

During Boehner’s first race for Congress in 1990, Wendt inadvertently manufactured a bizarre and permanent connection to the future Speaker of the House. (Reuters/Yuri Gripas)

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Lukens denied any wrongdoing in public. He was charged and later convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The House Ethics Committee launched an investigation. But Lukens declined to step aside. That teed up a three-way Republican primary between Lukens, the former congressman who represented the district, the late Rep. Tom Kindness, R-Ohio, and Boehner. 

Boehner was a state legislator at the time. The scandal embroiling Lukens created a rare opportunity to head to Washington.

As strange as it seems now, Boehner was the least-known of the three Republican candidates in what turned out to be a brutal primary. But Boehner’s innate political acumen shone through – decades before he would ascend to the Speaker’s suite. 

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Despite the scandal, Lukens remained popular in the district. He had served as the congressman decades earlier and returned to the House when Kindness ran unsuccessfully for the Senate against late-Sen. John Glenn, D-Ohio, in 1986. So with the Lukens scandal, Kindness wanted his job back. And Boehner hoped to capitalize on the opportunity.

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Can you top a name like that? «Congressman Kindness.» No wonder it was such a challenge for the upstart, future Speaker with the unpronounceable, Teutonic surname.

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But Boehner won. And even though he felled Lukens and Kindness, it was not a done deal that Boehner would win the general election.

Boehner ran against Democrat Greg Jolivette, the mayor of Hamilton, Ohio, the biggest city in the 8th Congressional District. Jolivette was best known for changing the name of «Hamilton,» to «Hamilton!» in the 1980s. He also ran Jolly’s Drive-Ins in Hamilton. Imagine 1970s hamburger joints where you can order from your car, bedecked in orange.

But we’re talking about «Cheers» here. Not «Happy Days.»

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Wendt was at the height of his popularity during the summer of 1990 as Boehner and Jolivette barreled toward a general election faceoff. So Wendt appeared on late-night TV on «The Arsenio Hall Show.»

Look him up, kids.

Hall’s syndicated show was never going to beat NBC’s «The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson» in the ratings. But the program scored major headlines in 1992, when future President Bill Clinton played saxophone on the show in an effort to appeal to a younger demographic, which gravitated to Hall rather than Carson.

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George Wendt as Norm Peterson

Wendt’s portrayal of Norm earned him six consecutive Emmy nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a primetime series. (Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images )

Clinton’s appearance was a seminal moment in American politics and may have helped him win the election. Certainly the most important political event on Hall’s show. Wendt’s appearance proved to be the second-most important.

Jolivette was Wendt’s brother-in-law. He periodically parachuted into Ohio’s 8th District to campaign for Jolivette and against Boehner. So Hall asked him about Wendt’s political involvement and Jolivette.

Wendt proceeded to essentially libel Boehner on the air. Wendt never mentioned Boehner by name. But Wendt mixed up Lukens and his sex scandal with Boehner. On national TV, no less.

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«The guy he’s running against had some problems a while back,» said Wendt, referring to Jolivette’s opponent, but mixing Boehner up with Lukens. «The guy from the 8th District had some convictions, some felony or a misdemeanor or something. So I think it’s time for a change. One thing’s for sure, I know, Greg’s not going to be a criminal.»

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Hall is an Ohio native. But he was apparently not versed in the Lukens scandal – even though it was a national story and commanded daily headlines. He didn’t inquire further or correct Wendt. After all, this was a late-night comedy and variety show. Not «Meet the Press.»

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A publicist for Hall blamed the issue entirely on Wendt, saying the host has no control over «what (guests are) going to say.»

Things then turned nasty when Boehner’s team put out a statement.

«We, like a lot of viewers, are confused about the conversation last night. We don’t know if they were talking about Congressman Lukens’ problems or perhaps the theft complaint filed with the Hamilton (Ohio) Police against Greg Jolivette,» said the Boehner campaign.

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American comedian and talk show host Arsenio Hall poses for a portrait sitting in his chair in Los Angeles, California, circa 1991.

American comedian and talk show host Arsenio Hall poses for a portrait sitting in his chair in Los Angeles, circa 1991.  (Bonnie Schiffman/Getty Images)

Jolivette’s campaign argued this was an old allegation and it wasn’t true. They then demanded that Boehner fire Barry Jackson, Boehner’s campaign manager. Jackson called the episode «cheap gutter politics.»

Boehner himself pinned the case of mistaken identity on Wendt. He believed the actor should have been more responsible for what he said on national TV.

Boehner didn’t fire Jackson. Jackson worked with Boehner for years and later served as his chief of staff when he became House speaker.

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Wendt’s gaffe was not fatal for Boehner. Even though there were nearly as many Democrats as Republicans registered in the 8th District in those days, it had elected Republicans for years. And Boehner vanquished Jolivette 61-39 percent in the general election.

The rest is history for Boehner.

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Fast-forward to today. Boehner took to X after the actor’s death. The former Speaker explained how Wendt was the brother-in-law of his opponent and «went on a late-night TV show and said some tough things.» 

Boehner said that Wendt was «confusing me with someone else. He called later to apologize and we had a great conversation. Raising a glass tonight to the man America will always remember as Norm.»

Or, as they might say on the show, «Cheers.»

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INTERNACIONAL

Corrupción en el PSOE: el ex presidente Felipe González blanqueó su antipatía por Pedro Sánchez y adelantó cuál será su voto en las próximas elecciones en España

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El ex presidente español socialista Felipe González cada vez oculta menos su poca simpatía por el actual jefe del gobierno Pedro Sánchez, quien es también el líder del PSOE, el partido al que ambos pertenecen. La última confesión del ex presidente fue revelar que no votaría a Sánchez si se volviera a presentar como candidato a las elecciones generales. “No contarán con mi apoyo de ninguna manera”, dijo González en un programa de radio.

Sánchez atraviesa sus días más vidriosos desde que llegó a La Moncloa, en 2018: los indicios de corrupción de ex altos cargos del Partido Socialista lo están dejando sin aire aunque su actitud es no tirar la toalla. Es más: el martes, desde La Haya, donde participó en la cumbre de la OTAN, aseguró a los periodistas que lo acompañaban que volverá a ser candidato a presidente “si los españoles así lo deciden”.

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Pero la antipatía de Felipe González hacia el modo de hacer política de Pedro Sánchez no es nueva, aunque sí se ha profundizado en las últimas semanas, cuando el informe de la Guardia Civil reveló la trama de cobro de coimas por adjudicación de obras públicas protagonizada por socialistas de peso dentro del partido.

González está furioso, además, con la última noticia sobre la polémica ley de amnistía que el gobierno de coalición de izquierdas que conduce Sánchez aprobó para amnistiar a los independentistas que intentaron la separación de Cataluña del resto de España en 2017.

La amnistía fue una de las promesas que Pedro Sánchez le hizo a los partidos catalanes -de derecha y de izquierda- a cambio de que apoyaran su reelección en 2023.

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Media España se levantó en contra de una ley que una gran mayoría consideraba inconstitucional. El ex presidente Felipe González fue una de las voces más representativas dentro del propio socialismo que se oponían a la amnistía.

Este jueves, sin embargo, el Tribunal Constitucional avaló la constitucionalidad de la norma. Con seis jueces progresistas a favor y cuatro conservadores en contra, el tribunal resolvió que la finalidad de la ley es legítima por ser de interés público y que, por otra parte, la Constitución española no menciona la amnistía por lo cual, esa ausencia no debe ser interpretada necesariamente como prohibición.

Pedro Sánchez en una reunión del Consejo Europeo en Bruselas, Bélgica. Foto Bloomberg

Ante esta resolución, el ex presidente estalló: “No contarán con mi apoyo, de ninguna manera, ninguno de los que haya participado en esta barrabasada contra las reglas de juego, contra el Estado de derecho”, dijo Felipe González sobre la amnistía de la que el presidente Sánchez se mostró contento este jueves.

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“Es una magnífica noticia para España, para la convivencia”, dijo Sánchez desde Bruselas, donde participa en el Consejo Europeo, sobre el aval del Tribunal Constitucional a la ley de amnistía.

“Ya no tiene vida política”

Para el ex presidente González, el escándalo de las coimas es un acto de corrupción política. “Es evidente que no es un problema de partido -agregó-. El PSOE no adjudica contratos. Por tanto, es (un asunto de corrupción) del gobierno.”

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Y no tuvo piedad sobre el futuro de Pedro Sánchez: “Ya no tiene vida política”, aseguró.

Felipe González, uno de los protagonistas de la Transición española, fue el tercer presidente de la democracia de España y quien más la gobernó: cuatro Legislaturas, entre 1982 y 1996.

Hace cuatro años que no se habla con Pedro Sánchez, según contó el mismo González.

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“Tiene que convocarnos”, respondió el ex presidente a Clarín cuando hace unos días le preguntamos si Pedro Sánchez tiene que renunciar luego del escándalo de corrupción que enfanga a su partido.

“Yo no soy quien decide. Tiene que convocarnos”, insistió González.

¿Fraude en las primarias del 2014?

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Entre los audios que el informe de la Guardia Civil desclasificó para que los españoles que quisieran los escucharan, hay uno en el que el ex secretario de organización del PSOE, Santos Cerdán, pide fraguar las elecciones primarias socialistas de 2014 en favor de Pedro Sánchez, quien salió vencedor.

En la grabación, Cerdán le pide a Koldo García, un ex policía, ex chofer y luego asesor involucrado en la trama corrupta, que agregue “dos papeletas” para Sánchez sin que nadie lo vea.

El actual jefe del gobierno le quitó importancia al episodio. “Gané esas elecciones con una diferencia de 16 mil votos”, subrayó.

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Sánchez venció, por entonces, a Eduardo Madina, un socialista vasco que sufrió un atentado de ETA y que hoy vive alejado de la política.

Sobre el episodio de aquellas elecciones socialistas, Felipe González no se ahorró elegir: “Madina fue mi candidato -dijo el ex presidente-. Es más, lo sigue siendo en mi corazón y en mi cabeza”.

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Cuomo staying in NYC mayor’s race for now, following stunning setback to Mamdani in primary: Sources

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Andrew Cuomo is not dropping out of the race for New York City mayor.

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Cuomo, the former three-term New York State governor who resigned from office in 2021 amid multiple scandals, has decided, for now, to move ahead and run in the general election as an independent candidate, two sources confirmed to Fox News on Thursday night.

The announcement by Cuomo came three days after progressive upstart Zohran Mamdani shocked the political world, as he topped Cuomo and the rest of the 11-candidate field in heavily blue New York City’s Democratic Party mayoral primary and took a big step toward becoming the first Muslim mayor of the nation’s most populous city.

Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist state assemblyman from Queens who originally hailed from Uganda, captured 43.5% of the first round unofficial primary results, with Cuomo at 36.4%.

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REPUBLICANS USE MAMDANI BOMBSHELL VICTORY OVER CUOMO AS AMMUNITION TO BLAST DEMOCRATS AS EXTREMISTS

Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani takes the stage at his primary election party on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

While he acknowledged Mamdani’s victory in the primary, Cuomo left the door open to a November run as an independent candidate, which election rules in New York State permit.

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«I want to look at all the numbers as they come in and analyze the rank choice voting. I will then consult with my colleagues on what is the best path for me to help the City of New York, as I have already qualified to run for mayor on an independent line in November,» Cuomo said in a statement.

Cuomo was facing an end-of-the-day Friday deadline for candidates who had already qualified to run as independents to decline that independent ballot line.

The former governor will keep his place that he already secured earlier this year on the «Fight & Deliver» ballot line. But the sources said that Cuomo had not committed yet to running an active general election campaign through the summer and into the autumn. 

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If Cuomo drops out of the race at a later date, his name will stay on the general election ballot.

Cuomo

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in a speech to supporters, acknowledges that rival Zohran Mamdani ‘won’ the New York City Democratic Party mayoral primary, on June 24, 2025, in New York, N.Y. (Paul Steinhauser – Fox News)

Once a longshot in the race, Mamdani closed the gap with Cuomo during the final stretch of the primary race thanks to an energetic campaign that focused in part on New York City’s high cost of living.

Endorsements by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive rock star and New York City’s most prominent leader on the left, and by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the progressive champion and two-time Democratic presidential nominee runner-up, helped Mamdani consolidate much of New York City’s Democratic Party base

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WHAT MAMDANI’S STUNNING PRIMARY VICTORY MEANS FOR DEMOCRATS NATIONWIDE 

And Mamdani rode a wave of support from younger and first-time voters to catapult himself into first place.

«I will be the mayor for every New Yorker,» Mamdani said in his victory speech. «Whether you voted for me, or for Governor Cuomo, or felt too disillusioned by a long broken political system to vote at all, I will fight for a city that works for you, that is affordable for you, that is safe for you.»

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Since none of the candidates topped 50%, counting technically now heads into rounds of ranked-choice elimination. But the combined totals of votes Mamdani and other aligned progressive candidates won are likely to be more than enough to topple Cuomo as the ranked-choice tabulations begin on July 1.

Cuomo, seeing the writing on the wall, admitted defeat and complimented Mamdani as the initial primary results poured in on Tuesday, telling supporters that «tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won.»

Cuomo, in an interview on Wednesday with CBS New York, noted that «in the general election, more people come out to vote. It’s a broader pool, if you will, of New Yorkers, more representative pool of New Yorkers.»

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«There are about 5 million voters in New York City, there are about 8 million people in New York City, and about 1 million people vote in the Democratic primary. So it’s not, necessarily, representative of the city at large,» the former governor said.

Cuomo with supporters

Former New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the frontrunner in the race for the New York City Democratic Party mayoral primary, speaks to a large crowd of union supporters, on primary eve, June 23, 2025. (Paul Steinhauser – Fox News)

And a poll from a consulting and lobbying group that was aligned with an outside group supporting Cuomo released a poll on Thursday that suggested Mamdani and Cuomo tied in a possible general election matchup, with incumbent Mayor Eric Adams – a Democrat who’s running for re-election as an independent – and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa far behind.

Sliwa, the founder of the volunteer crime-fighting patrols known as the Guardian Angels, ran for a second straight election cycle. Also running this November as an independent is former federal prosecutor Jim Walden.

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Asked if Cuomo should drop out of the race, Mamdani said Thursday in an interview with Fox News affiliate WNYW in New York that «I think there’s room for everyone because, ultimately, we’re going to win it.»

The 67-year-old Cuomo has spent the past four years fighting to clear his name after 11 sexual harassment accusations, which he has repeatedly denied, forced his resignation. He was also under investigation at the time for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic amid allegations his administration vastly understated COVID-related deaths at state nursing homes. 

Last month, the Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into Cuomo after Republicans accused him of lying to Congress about the decisions he made as governor during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Cuomo, thanks to his name recognition, was the front-runner in the polls even before he announced his candidacy earlier this year. But he ran a safe campaign that relied on union support, and he shied away from often engaging with local or national media.

Mamdani, meanwhile, made smart use of social media platforms, including TikTok, as he engaged the primary electorate. He proposed eliminating fares to ride New York City’s vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) «tuition-free,» freezing rents on municipal housing, offering «free childcare» for children up to age five, and setting up government-run grocery stores.

Eric Adams

New York Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a campaign launch rally at City Hall, Thursday, June. 26, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Adams, in formally launching his campaign on Thursday on the steps of City Hall, said «this is a city not of socialism,» in an obvious jab at Mamdani’s proposals.

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«There’s no dignity in someone giving you everything for free. There’s dignity in giving you a job, so you can provide for your family and the opportunities that you deserve. This is not a city of handouts. This is a city of hands up.»

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Adams’ poll numbers were sinking even before he was indicted last year on five counts, which accused the mayor of bribery and fraud as part of an alleged «long-running» scheme to personally profit from contacts with foreign officials.

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The mayor made repeated overtures to President Donald Trump, and the Justice Department earlier this year dismissed the corruption charges, so Adams could potentially work with the Trump administration on its illegal immigration crackdown.

He announced in early April that he would run for re-election as an independent and forgo the Democratic primary.

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North Korea’s Kim cuts tape at coastal tourist site; foreigners not yet welcome

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un cut the inaugural tape at a new coastal tourist site during an extravagant ceremony on Tuesday, though the resort won’t immediately be open to foreign tourists.

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Kim toured the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone, calling its construction «one of the greatest successes this year» and «the proud first step» toward a new era in the government’s tourism industry, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

Hotels and other accommodations for nearly 20,000 guests were built on the Hermit Kingdom’s east coast, where visitors could engage in activities such as swimming, sports and recreation and dining at restaurants at the resort, state media said.

The resort, North Korea’s biggest tourist site, will open for domestic tourists next Tuesday, KCNA said, but the report didn’t say when it will start receiving foreign tourists. 

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RUSSIA FIRES NORTH KOREAN BALLISTIC MISSILES IN ‘EXTREMELY DANGEROUS’ THREAT TO EUROPE AND ASIA: ZELENSKYY

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with his daughter, far left, cuts the inaugural tape during a completion ceremony of the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone in North Korea on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

Experts believe North Korea invested heavily in the construction of the resort and eventually will have to accept Chinese and other foreign tourists to recoup costs.

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But North Korea has been slow to resume its international tourism because of lingering COVID-19 pandemic curbs, a flare-up of tensions with the U.S. and South Korea in recent years and worries about Western tourists spreading a negative image of its system.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un enjoys view of Wonsan-Kalma resort.

Kim Jong Un, sitting center, with his wife Ri Sol Ju, rear, and daughter tour the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone in North Korea on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

Analysts say the resort will open to Russian tourists first, as evidenced by its booming military and other partnerships with Russia, before eventually opening to Chinese tours.

TRUMP REMAINS ‘RECEPTIVE’ TO DIALOGUE WITH KIM JONG UN DESPITE REPORTED LETTER SNUB

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The Russian ambassador to North Korea and his embassy staff appeared at Tuesday’s ceremony, according to KCNA, though the report didn’t say whether any Chinese diplomats were also invited.

South Korean and American tourists won’t be as fortunate, Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, told The Associated Press.

Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump

President Donald Trump met with Kim Jong Un in Singapore in June 2018 during his first term as president. During the first months of his second term, Trump maintained that the U.S. will have relations with North Korea.  (AP/Evan Vucci)

Lim said those tours won’t likely restart anytime soon, though both new liberal South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump have expressed hopes to revive dialogue with North Korea.

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Kim has been pushing to make the country a tourism hub as part of efforts to revive the ailing economy, with KCNA reporting that North Korea will soon confirm plans to build large tourist sites in other parts of the country.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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