SINGAPORE: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump attend the historic US-North Korea summit in Singapore on Tuesday. The duo has reached the venue of the summit after both sides have sought to narrow differences over how to end a nuclear standoff.
While Trump was optimistic about prospects for the first-ever meeting of sitting US and North Korean leaders, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo injected a note of caution, saying it remained to be seen if Kim was sincere about his willingness to denuclearise.
12 June 2018, 11:29 AM
Trump says he expects demilitarization process to begin very quickly, reports Reuters. He also says that this is the first of many meetings with Kim and that both leaders will ensure peace and order is maintained.
12 June 2018, 11:20 AM
Reuters reports that Trump has officially extended an invite to Kim to visit the United States.
12 June 2018, 11:18 AM
Kim has hailed talks and says the world will see a major change after the signing of the document.
“We have decided to let go of the past.”
12 June 2018, 11:15 AM
The document is a comprehensive document. We are both very honoured to sign it: Donald Trump
Details of what the document contains is still awaited.
12 June 2018, 11:14 AM
The wait for the official signing of a document, as referred to by Trump, grows.
12 June 2018, 10:33 AM
Trump and Kim walk out of a working lunch, assures talks were positive. “They were better than what anybody could have imagined,” he tells reporters.
12 June 2018, 10:29 AM
Trump shows off ‘The Beast’ to Kim. The heavily-armoured limousine which transports the US President is known to be the envy of world leaders.
Will Kim ask for the car in return for North Korea’s denuclearization, wonders Twitter!
12 June 2018, 10:22 AM
We’ll announce that in a bit: Trump when asked about the document that he and Kim would be signing.
12 June 2018, 10:18 AM
After two rounds of talks, Trump says he is ready to sign document with Kim. An official announcement may now follow.
12 June 2018, 10:15 AM
Trump hails ‘really fantastic’ meeting with Kim, says ‘a lot of progress’ made: AFP
12 June 2018, 09:41 AM
Meanwhile, the Chinese are wondering about the exact source of what Ivanka tweeted about the historic summit. Read full story here.
12 June 2018, 09:39 AM
Hey, what’s cooking?
Trump, Kim and their respective aides have a scrumptious spread to look forward to as part of the official lunch. According to The Guardian, here’s what’s on offer on a table decorated with white and green flowers:
Starters
Traditional prawn cocktail served with avocado salad
Green mango kerabu with honey lime dressing and fresh octopus
“Oiseon” Korean stuffed cucumber
Main course
Beef short rib confit, served with potato dauphinois and steamed broccolini, red wine sauce on the side
Combination of sweet and sour crispy pork and Yangzhou fried rice with homemade XO chilli sauce
“Daegu jorim” soy braised cod fish with radish, Asian vegetables
Desserts
Dark chocolate tartlet ganache Haagendazs vanilla ice cream with cherry coulis Tropezienne
12 June 2018, 09:09 AM
“Many people would think us meeting is like a scene from a science fiction movie!”
Check out the best quotes and the best pics from the historic summit, here
12 June 2018, 08:38 AM
After one-on-one meet only with their respective interpreters, Trump and Kim enter second round of talks – this time with their respective aides.
12 June 2018, 08:09 AM
We overcame all kinds of skepticism and speculations about this summit & I believe that this is good for the peace.
— Kim Jong-un
12 June 2018, 07:42 AM
How the world is watching Trump-Kim summit:
There are reports that international markets have firmed up in the early hours of the summit.
12 June 2018, 07:40 AM
So, what do both nations want, rather expect, from one another?
For starters, US has been primarily concerned about what it considers as nuclear proliferation being done illegally by North Korea. A number of missile tests conducted by North Korea in recent months has triggered alarm bells in the US – a country which previously thought claims made by North Korea about its nuclear prowess were baseless. They weren’t and many experts feel now that the country is close to developing missiles that could reach the western coast of the US.
So, denuclearization is the primary demand that US has put forth. Dismantle and desist is what US has previously told North Korea and it is something that Trump is likely to repeat. Afterall, North Korea did conduct six nuclear tests in just one month – September of 2017.
Security analysts believe though that behind the smiles and waves, the issue of denuclearization might not sit too well with North Korea – a country that sees its missiles as crucial for its survival. A large part of North Korea’s annual budget is dedicated to developing its nuclear weapons and modernising its military. While almost everything is done in complete secrecy, it is mostly known that Pyonyang feels its weapns are a part of its identity.
And what does North Korea expect from the US?
For starters, respect. “Even if a country had a hostile relationship with us in the past, our attitude is that if this nation respects our autonomy… we shall seek normalisation through dialogue,” read a recent editorial in a government-controlled media outlet.
North Korea is also, perhaps, expecting tight UN sanctions imposed on it to be relaxed. In return for denuclearization, only relaxed sanctions though is unlikely to figure as a prominent demand. For now, only guessing games are being played about what the real demand might be just in case North Korea does agree to give up its nukes.
12 June 2018, 07:28 AM
Donald Trump says one-on-one meeting with Kim was ‘very, very good’. He adds that they have an excellent relationship: Associated Press.
12 June 2018, 07:20 AM
‘Terrific’ and ‘tremendous’ – two words that have set the tone for the historic US-North Korea summit between Trump and Kim.
All though has not been this cordial between the two countries and its two leaders.
While the US and North Korea have been bitter enemies for decades, relations nosedived when both Trump and Kim began taking potshots at each other following a number of missile tests by North Korea.
In January of this year, Trump even said he has his hands on a button for nuclear weapons that are bigger and more powerful than any that North Korea has.
North Korea hit back at the ‘boast’ by calling Trump a ‘rabid dog’.
12 June 2018, 06:55 AM
Trump to media persons: I think we will have a great discussion and have tremendous success. It is my honour and our countries will have a tremendous relationship, I have no doubt.
12 June 2018, 06:52 AM
Kim to Trump: Old prejudices and practices work as obstacles in our way forward but we have overcome all of that and are here today.
Trump: That’s true.
12 June 2018, 06:50 AM
Trump and Kim shaking hands could be a sign of normalisation of relations between the United States and North Korea – two countries that have seen each other with suspicion for decades. Just before the start of the summit, Trump had predicted start of fruitful relations between the two countries.
12 June 2018, 06:43 AM
The moment people were eagerly waiting for has happened – a smile, a nod and a firm handshake as Trump and Kim greet each other for the first time ever. Press cameras go buzzing as the photos would be relayed not just around the world instantly but will re-circulate for years and years – regardless of the outcome of the meeting.
12 June 2018, 06:39 AM
Trump has previously said that the success of the summit would determine if he would extend an invite to Kim Jong-un to come calling at the White House.
This would have been impossible to imagine just a few months back with both leaders trading barbs – prompting many to predict a nuclear war.
12 June 2018, 06:37 AM
Both Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have arrived in Sentosa Island for their much-awaited meeting.
Bureau Report
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