Kristi Noem’s claim in new memoir that she met North Korea dictator Kim Jong-un called into question

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has claimed in her new memoir that she met North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un while serving in Congress on the House Armed Services Committee.

Her book, No Going Back, due out on 7 May, has already causeduproar over her account of killing her dog.

And now the governor’s alleged meetings with world leaders, including Kim Jong Un and French President Emmanuel Macron, are being disputed.

According to The Dakota Scout newpaper, neither account has been verified by congressional travel documents or outside sources.

“Through my tenure on the House Armed Services Committee, I had the chance to travel to many countries to meet with world leaders. I remember when I met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un,” Ms Noem wrote in the book.

“I’m sure he underestimated me, having no clue about my experience staring down little tyrants (I’d been a children’s pastor, after all). Dealing with foreign leaders takes resolve, preparation and determination. My experiences on those many foreign trips made me a better member of Congress and a stronger governor. It allowed me to hone my deal-making skills, which play a crucial role in leadership.”

Ms Noem served on the House Armed Services Committee from 2013-2015 – and visited China in 2014. However, there is no record of Kim being in China at that time, according to The Dakota Scout.

From 2011 to 2018, Mr Kim did not leave North Korea, according to University of Notre Dame professor and North Korea expert George Lopez.

“I don’t see any conceivable way that a single junior member of Congress without explicit escort from the U.S. State Department and military would be meeting with a leader from North Korea,” Mr Lopez said.

“What would have been so critical in his