US President Trump finally changed his mind (again) about meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In the latest update, they are tentatively meeting in Singapore on 12 June.
Now all eyes will be on Singapore when the two leaders step foot on this sunny island.
Here’re 5 things you need to know about this highly-anticipated Trump-Kim summit.
1) Where the summit will be held
Everybody wants to know where the two leaders will be meeting to discuss the peace agreement.
The area around Shangri-La Hotel Singapore and part of Sentosa have been gazetted as special event areas for the summit.
Shangri-La:
Sentosa:
There’s no confirmation on the venue and it’s likely to be undisclosed for security reasons.
Anyway, you might want to avoid the special event areas during the Trump-Kim summit as there will be stricter security checks.
2) Why Singapore is chosen
Experts said that Singapore is viewed as a neutral party – not seen as siding either country. We also have a relationship with both the US and North Korea.
Also, Singapore can offer top-notch security. It’s said that the two leaders and states are paranoid about security.
3) Where they’ll be landing
Again, the landing site is not confirmed but experts said that both leaders are likely to land on Paya Lebar Airbase.
For security reasons, there’ll likely be a decoy flight (the one without Trump) flying over Singapore and landing elsewhere. Snipers are also likely to be on standby at Changi Airport rooftop.
In some cases, the landing site is only finalised before the plane touches down.
Very dramatic but it has happened before.
4) What’s the agenda for the Trump-Kim summit
Denuclearization.
In a nutshell, Trump wants North Korea to remove all its nuclear weapons and dismantle its nuclear program.
That could mean eventually closing North Korea’s main nuclear facility but Trump is not expecting to sign any agreement to immediately stop the nuclear program.
North Korea has a nuclear device that is apparently 17 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb by US. And this missile can strike the US mainland.
So US is worried.
From North Korea’s perspective, these weapons are necessary to stop a US invasion.
The issue is pretty complex – you can read about it here if you’re interested.
5) Will there be a surprise guest
There’s a possibility of a surprise guest and it’s none other than the Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Nobody can confirm if he’s really coming – not even the Chinese Foreign Ministry as they avoided the question on Mr Xi’s travel plans at the press briefing.
It’s said that China is worried that North Korea or a unified Korean Peninsula could lean towards US. This would then reduce North Korea’s reliance on China for trade and security.
By the way, China shares a traditionally close relationship with North Korea.
Again, this issue is quite cheem but those who are keen to read more can click here.
Last but not least
We’re hoping that Trump and Kim could go on an adventure ride together.
This might actually forge a real bond between them and encourage Kim to officially end all the nuclear programs.
If they really do go on a ride together, AM Lee said he will look out for snipers hiding in Jurassic park.
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