Trump, Kim Land in Singapore

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in Singapore on Sunday for an unprecedented summit with US President Donald Trump, with his nuclear arsenal high on the agenda and the US president calling it a “one-time shot” at peace
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (R) arrives at the Changi International Airport in Singapore on June 10.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived on Sunday in Singapore ahead of one of the most unusual and highly anticipated summits in recent world history, a sit-down with US President Donald Trump meant to settle a standoff over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons arsenal. Trump also arrived in the city-state island a few hours later.   

A jet carrying Kim landed Sunday afternoon amid huge security precautions. After shaking hands with the Singapore foreign minister, Kim sped through the city’s streets in a massive limousine, two large North Korean flags fluttering on the hood, surrounded by other black vehicles with tinted windows and bound for the luxurious and closely guarded St. Regis Hotel, AP reported.

Trump landed at Paya Lebar Air Base, traveling from Canada, where he attended a meeting of the Group of Seven nations.

After a 20-hour journey from Canada, Trump was received at the air base by Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. Asked by a reporter how he is feeling about the summit, Trump said, “Very good”. He then got into his waiting limousine.

Trump’s high-risk meeting with Kim is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday.



  Intense Curiosity



The North, many experts believe, stands on the brink of being able to target the entire US mainland with its nuclear-armed missiles, and while there is deep skepticism that Kim will quickly give up those hard-won nukes, there is also some hope that diplomacy can replace the animosity between the US and the North.

  Lurking in Shadows



But it is Kim’s pursuit of nuclear weapons that gives his meeting with Trump such high stakes.



On Saturday he said that North Korean leader has a “one-time shot” to show he is serious about a nuclear disarmament deal.

“I feel that Kim Jong-un wants to do something great for his people and he has that opportunity,” Trump said at a press conference just before he departed a G-7 summit in Charlevoix, Canada, for his historic Tuesday rendezvous with Kim in Singapore. “He won’t have that opportunity again.”

  Uncertain Fate

It is unclear what Trump and Kim might decide Tuesday. Pyongyang has said it is willing to deal away its entire nuclear arsenal if the United States provides it with a reliable security assurance and other benefits.



Another possibility from the summit is a deal to end the Korean War, which North Korea has long demanded, presumably, in part, to get US troops off the Korean Peninsula and, eventually, pave the way for a North Korean-led unified Korea.




Just meeting with Trump will also give Kim a recognition North Korea has long sought, setting him up as global player and equal to the US domestically and, internationally, as the leader of a “normal country” worthy of respect.

Add new comment

Read our comment policy before posting your viewpoints