Both Donald Trump and North Korea’s leader Lee Hsien Loong are at Singapore’s government house, two leaders were scheduled to meet one-on-one before an expanded working lunch with aides, Sky reported on Monday.
The US president flew to Singapore from a fractious G7 summit where he was accusing Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau of being “dishonest and weak”. According to North Korean state media, Kim Jong Un will discuss denuclearisation with President Trump at their Singapore summit. The experts believe Mr Kim’s engagement is aimed at getting the US to ease crippling sanctions that have squeezed his poverty-stricken country. NK leader will also see a victory in having secured recognition and a seat at the negotiating table with the head of the world’s superpower.
Durable peace-keeping mechanism and its stable working on the Korean Peninsula are among the issues of future talks agenda. KCNA’s report also said Mr Kim was accompanied by his foreign minister Ri Yong Ho, defence minister No Kwang Chol and his sister Kim Yo Jong. Both Washington and Pyongyang’s representatives have arrived in Singapore ahead of a historic summit.
The talks will be the first between the US and North Korean leader and will mark a sharp turnaround in the status of Mr Kim from international pariah to the global player. Just a few months ago, he and Mr Trump had been at loggerheads – trading insults and threats over Pyongyang’s nuclear missile programme.
Mr Trump said to the journalists that he has very good feelings regarding the upcoming talks with the North Korean leader. Trump arrived just a few hours after Kim. N Korea’s leader met Singapore’s PM shortly after landing and said Singapore’s role would be recorded in history if the summit is a success.
Mr Trump has said he will “know within a minute” if Mr Kim is serious and soon after his arrival in Singapore, he wrote on Twitter:
“Great to be in Singapore, excitement in the air!”
The White House has claimed credit for bringing Mr Kim to the table through a concerted campaign of tough economic sanctions, diplomatic efforts and the threat of military action.
