Korean DMZ
South Korean soldiers look toward the North Korean side as a North Korean solder approaches a United Nations truce village building that sits on the edge of the Demilitarized Zone, which separates the two Koreas. Reuters

White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham on Sunday was bruised by North Korean officials who were attempting to block her and members of the press from viewing a historic meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The scuffle forced the Secret Service to intervene to allow Grisham and White Hosue press pool members to enter.

A source told CNN's Jim Acosta that Grisham got into “an all-out brawl” with North Korean officials and was bruised in the incident. There have been no reports of injuries.

It is rare for foreign journalists to cover Kim in the highly secretive country of North Korea. North Korea is ranked 179 out of 180 countries on Reporters Without Borders's Press Freedom Index in 2019 and press activities are severely restricted in the isolated country.

"Headed by Kim Jong Un since 2012, North Korea's totalitarian regime continues to keep its citizens in a state of ignorance," Reporters without Borders (RSF) said. "North Koreans can still be sent to a concentration camp for viewing, reading or listening to content provided by a media outlet outside the country."

The struggle between Grisham and North Korean officials is a rough start for the press secretary, who began her tenure in the position last week. Grisham began her career with Trump in 2015 when she worked for his presidential campaign as a press aide.

Trump on Sunday became the first sitting U.S. President to enter North Korea.

"I never expected to meet you at this place," Kim said.

Trump said it was a "great honor" to meet with the North Korean leader.

The two leaders had met at the demilitarized zone, which separates the Democratic People's Republic Of Korea (DPRK) from the Republic of Korea. North Korea and South Korea have been separated since 1953, and are still technically at war with each other.

The Trump administration has made several attempts in recent years to get North Korea to give up its nuclear program in exchange for reduced sanctions against the country. Kim and Trump met in Singapore in 2018 and in Vietnam in February 2019 but have yet to settle on a deal.

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