Kim Jong Un arrives in Singapore ahead of Trump-Kim summit

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un touched down in Singapore on Sunday (Jun 10), two days before a planned summit with US President Donald Trump. 

The two leaders are to meet Tuesday at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island where talks on denuclearisation of North Korea in exchange for economic help will be on the table.
The North Korean leader is expected to stay at the St Regis hotel and Mr Trump at the Shangri-La, both in the Tanglin area within Singapore’s city centre.

Both Sentosa and the Tanglin area have been designated special event areas by the police and security has been tightened at both places.

Last week, Singapore authorities also warned travellers arriving at and departing from Singapore to expect flight delays as airspace will be restricted from Sunday to Thursday.

More than 2,500 journalists have descended on Singapore to cover the event, and will be based at a media centre at the F1 pit building. 

The unprecedented meeting, the first time a sitting US president meets a North Korean leader, was nearly called off just two weeks before the event.

Ahead of his departure for Singapore, President Trump described the meeting as a “mission of peace”, for which they had a “one-time shot”. “I think within the first minute I’ll know ... And if I think it won’t happen - I’m not going to waste my time. I don’t want to waste his time,” he told the media at G7 summit in Quebec, Canada.

Source: CNA/mn