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LIVE: Trump-Kim Singapore summit

US President Donald Trump has defended his summit with Kim Jong-un — despite no firm promises from the North Koreans.

Gavin Fernando and Andrew Koubaridis
24 min read
June 13, 2018 - 2:05AM
Kim Jong-un commits to denuclearisation

Live blog: Singapore summit

Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un met face-to-face for the first time in a historic summit in Singapore, before attending a private meeting and a working lunch with their advisers. Mr Trump then addressed the media in an extraordinary question and answer session that lasted almost an hour, before the leaders departed.

8.50pm

Trump leaves Singapore after historic day

Mr Trump has waved goodbye as he boarded Air Force One to fly home to the United States, following today’s historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. At the epic media briefing that followed the summit, Mr Trump claimed not to have slept for 25 hours. As the leaders finally depart, read our full wrap of the momentous day here.

7.10pm

On meeting Kim

Before the summit, Mr Trump said he was sure he would know how successful it would be in the first minute. He did not back away from that today — in fact, he said it took far less than that.

“Yeah, I have said that about relationships, I have said that about people. You know, [I can tell] in the first second. I was generous and said five seconds but you know in the first second in some cases. Sometimes that doesn’t work out, but sometimes it does. From the beginning we got along, but there’s been a lot of groundwork [by officials before the meeting].”

He said he trusted Kim to follow through on what he had promised. “I think he’ll do it. I really believe that — otherwise I wouldn’t be doing this.”

He was sure the destruction of the engine missile site would be a major turning point.

“I may stand before you in six months and say, ‘Hey, I was wrong.’ I don’t know that I’ll ever admit that but I’ll find some kind of excuse,” he said to laughter from the hundreds of journalists.

Donald Trump appeared to enjoy his almost hour-long media conference.
Donald Trump appeared to enjoy his almost hour-long media conference.

6.58pm

North Korea want to make a deal, but I can’t be certain, says Trump

Mr Trump said nothing could be assumed or taken for granted. He said he had been making deals his whole life and was confident North Korea and Kim wanted a deal as well.

“You can’t ensure anything. All I can say is that they want to make a deal. That’s what I do. My whole life has been deals. I’ve done great at it. That’s what I do. And I know when somebody wants to deal and I know when somebody doesn’t. A lot of politicians don’t. That’s not their thing but it is my thing. Again, this really could have been done I think easier a long time ago, but I know — I just feel very strongly, my instinct, my ability or talent, they want to make a deal and making a deal is a great thing for the world.”

6.54pm

Trump sledges Trudeau again - and speaks about the viral Angela Merkel picture

Mr Trump has not backed away from previous statements he made about the Canadian PM Justin Trudeau being dishonest and weak.

He was asked about the statements and the recent tension with other G7 leaders, especially over trade.

“I had a very good meeting at the G7 — I’ll be honest, we are being taken advantage of by virtually every one of those countries,” he said. “Anyway, we finished the meeting ... everybody was happy and I agreed to sign something. I asked for changes. I demanded changes. Those changes were made. The picture with Angela Merkel, who I get along with very well, where I’m sitting there like that, that picture is we’re waiting for the document because I wanted to see the final document [with changes] as I requested. It was friendly. I know it didn’t look friendly, it wasn’t nasty both ways, I wasn’t angry at her. Actually we were talking about the whole group about something unrelated to anything, very friendly, waiting for the document back to read.”

He then saw Mr Trudeau’s media conference, and it made him angry. “When I got to the plane, I think Justin didn’t know Air Force one has about 20 televisions, and I see the television and he’s giving a news conference about how he will not be pushed around by the United States. I say, ‘Push him around? We just shook hands.’ It was very friendly.”

Mr Trudeau’s comments would cost Canadians, he added.

6.46pm

Trump: I don’t want to be threatening

Mr Trump said he didn’t raise military options with Kim after previously threatening to destroy him. He told the reporter who asked about it the question was fair, given the previous rhetoric.

“Yeah, I know. That’s a tough thing to talk about because I don’t want to be threatening. They understood that.”

Asked about his promise of “fire and fury”, he said: “Well, at that time we needed perhaps fire and fury because we could not have allowed that kind of capability from the standpoint of the United States and certainly Japan wasn’t going to allow it either. Japan is right next door.”

The US President speaks at a press conference following the historic US-North Korea summit in Singapore.
The US President speaks at a press conference following the historic US-North Korea summit in Singapore.

6.43pm

Sanctions will remain for now

Mr Trump said the sanctions against North Korea would remain until the US was satisfied denuclearisation was happening.

“The sanctions will come off when we are sure that the nukes are no longer a factor. Sanctions played a big role but they’ll come off at that point. I hope it’s gonna be soon. But they’ll come off — as you know and as I have said, the sanctions right now remain, but at a certain point, I actually look forward to taking them off, and they’ll come off when we know we’re down the road where it’s not going to happen, nothing is going to happen.

6.37pm

Human rights was spoken about — briefly.

Mr Trump said it was discussed, but denuclearisation was the key focus.

“Obviously that’s where we started and where we ended. But they will be doing things, and I think he [Kim] wants to do things. I think he wants to — you’d be very surprised. Very smart, very good negotiator. Wants to do the right thing. You know, he brought up the fact that in the past they took dialogue — they never were like we are.”

He said there had not been anything like what was being proposed now.

He said there had been previous pledges from the North Koreans — especially after a deal with President Clinton in 1994 — that achieved nothing, with “millions” given by the US failing stop the nuclear program.

“But this is a much different time and this is a much different president, in all fairness,” said Mr Trump. “This is very important to me.”

Mr Trump denies making any concessions.
Mr Trump denies making any concessions.

6.34pm

No concessions by the US, Trump says

Mr Trump denied the US had conceded anything on the subject of verifiable or irreversible denuclearisation. He pointed to the contract the two leaders had just signed.

“Not at all. If you look at it — it said we are going to, let’s see here — it will be gone, I don’t think you can be any more plain than what we’re asking — issues relating to the establishment of the new US-DPRK relationship. We talk about the guarantees and we talk about unwavering commitment to the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. This is the document that we just signed.”

6.31pm

Remains of POWs will be returned to the US

This was something Mr Trump had not planned on raising. He did so almost at the last minute.

“The remains will be coming back. They’re going to start that process immediately. But so many people, even during the campaign, they’d say, ‘Is there any way you can work with North Korea to get the remains of my son back? Or my father back?’ So many people asked me this question, and, you know, I said, ‘Look, we don’t get along too well with that particular group of people, but know do,’” Mr Trump said.

“He agreed to that so quickly. It was a very nice thing and he understands it. So for the thousands and thousands, I guess way over 6000 that we know of in terms of the remains, they’ll be brought back.”

6.26pm

‘He is very talented’

Mr Trump was asked by a journalist how he could praise Kim and call him “talented” when he had been a murderous dictator.

“He is very talented. Anybody that takes over a situation like he did at 26 years of age and is able to run it and run it tough, I don’t say it was nice, he ran it — very few people at that age, you can take one out of 10,000 probably who couldn’t do it.”

6.20pm

North Korea to destroy missile testing site

Mr Trump said he has been told by Kim that a nuclear missile testing site will be destroyed.

He said the situation on the Korean Peninsula should have been resolved years ago.

“We’re going to resolve it.”

6.16pm

Trump: This was historic

The US President thanked his counterparts in Singapore, Japan and China for their help in getting to this “very historic day”.

He said his meeting with Kim was productive and the two were ready to move towards a stronger, peaceful future.

“The past does not have to define the future...adversarys can indeed become freinds [and] replace the horror of battle with blessings of peace”.

5.48pm

Trump media conference to start soon

Mr Trump is about to speak to media about his historic summit with Kim. One of the key things people want answers about is the document both leaders signed.

Mr Trump has so far only said it was a “very important document, a pretty comprehensive document”.

4.30pm

Trump, Kim commit to ‘complete denuclearisation’

Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have committed to the “complete denuclearisation” of the Korean peninsula in a joint text.

The document signed by both leaders specifies four key agreements between the US and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Here’s what the document said — and a brief explanation of what each point means.

1. The United States and the DPRK commit to establish new US-DPRK relations in accordance with the desire of the people of the two counties for peace and prosperity.

This serves as an acknowledgement that the US and North Korea are seeking to leave their hostilies behind and move towards peace.

2. The United States and the DPRK will join their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

Until now, the US and South Korea have had an alliance against North Korea and its nuclear regime. This means the US and North Korea will move towards dialogue and pursue an end to their hostile relationship.

3. Reaffirming the April 27, 2018 Panmunjom Declaration, the DPRK commits to work toward complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

The Panmunjom Declaration was adopted by North and South Korea during the 2018 inter-Korean Summit in April. It stated that the two sides would agree to work together to end the Korean War and bring about a new era of peace, including denuclearisation. This point serves as a reiteration of that.

4. The United States and the DPRK commit to recovering POW/MIA remains, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified.

The United States and North Korea will work together to identify the remains of American Korean War casualties — a move veterans advocates have been pushing for. Over 7000 American service members from the war remain unaccounted for.

Mr Trump holds up a document signed by him and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un following a signing ceremony during their historic US-North Korea summit.
Mr Trump holds up a document signed by him and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un following a signing ceremony during their historic US-North Korea summit.

We’re still yet to hear anything about the process for denuclearisation, whether the US will lift its “maximum pressure” sanctions on North Korea or any other potential concessions that went into the deal.

However, Mr Trump is expected to make a joint press conference in a few minutes. Stay tuned.

4.00pm

Kim and Trump say goodbye

Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have officially said their warm farewells.

Mr Trump spoke glowingly of the North Korean dictator, saying he has a “great personality” and is “very smart”.

When asked if he was a worthy negotiator, Mr Trump responded: “A worthy negotiator...a very worthy, very smart negotiator. We had a terrific day and we learned a lot about each other and our countries.”

When pressed to elaborate on what he learnt from Kim, he said: “I learnt he’s a very talented man. I also learnt that he loves his country very much.”

The President said he would “absolutely” invite the North Korean leader to the White House in Washington, echoing a similar comment he made last week.

Mr Trump and Kim warmly departed and went their separate ways.
Mr Trump and Kim warmly departed and went their separate ways.

3.50pm

Trump and Kim sign documents

Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have sat down and signed a series of documents together.

While the contents are yet to be specified, they said it “worked out better than anyone could have predicted”, adding that “the world will see a major change” from it.

“We are signing a very important document, a pretty comprehensive document, and we have had a really great term together, a great relationship,” Mr Trump said before signing.

He described “three comprehensive documents” and said they’d be handed out at a news conference this afternoon.

He added that a lot of “goodwill” and “preparation” went into the letter, and noted that himself and Kim have a “special bond”.

“We’re going to take care of a very big and very dangerous problem for the world,” the US President said.

“It actually worked out far better for both of us than anyone would have predicted. This is going to lead to more and more and more... and it’s an honour to be with you.”

“We are going to leave the past behind. The world will see major change,” added Kim. He also expressed his thanks to Mr Trump for making the meeting happen.

The pair sat side-by-side at a long wooden table decorated with white flowers, flanked with North Korean and American flags on either side.

More details are expected to be announced when Mr Trump addresses the media later this evening.

Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have sat down and signed an official letter together.
Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have sat down and signed an official letter together.

2.40pm

Trump and Kim meeting goes off-script

The summit has taken a strange new turn, with Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un now getting ready to sign a never-mentioned document.

When the two leaders emerged from their working lunch, Mr Trump said things were going “better than anybody could have expected”.

“It’s going great, we had a really fantastic meeting, lot of progress, really very positive. I think better than anybody could have expected, top of the line, really good,” Mr Trump said of their meetings.

He then said “we are going right now for a signing”, noting there would be more details on the signing in a few minutes.

The signing was not part of the original meeting schedule and this is the first time it’s been mentioned today.

The pair spent the next few minutes checking out Mr Trump’s presidential limousine, which some experts have described as a “bonding” ritual.

A US official told CNN the pair would sign an agreement to acknowledge their meetings’ progress and pledge to keep momentum going.

2.20pm

Trump’s Dennis Rodman tweet making the rounds

A tweet Donald Trump posted in 2014 is once again making the rounds on social media.

A few hours ago, Rodman broke down during a live interview with CNN while expressing his sentiments on the summit.

When the former NBA star was asked what it was like when he visited North Korea and returned home during the Obama administration, he responded: “Obama didn’t even give me the time of day. I asked him — I said, I have something to say from North Korea. He just brushed me off. But that didn’t deter me.

“I kept going back ... I showed my loyalty to this country, and I said to everybody, ‘The door will open.’”

He said today was “a great day for everyone” and that he was “so happy” that Mr Trump had met with Kim.

Here were some of the responses to the 2014 tweet:

2.05pm

North Korea still left in the dark

North Koreans still haven’t seen any updates on the summit, according to Martyn Williams, a British journalist in the hermit nation.

He tweeted a photo of the satellite feed he was picking up:

Earlier it was reported that North Koreans didn’t even know about the meeting until yesterday morning.

This marked a break in tradition, as announcements of Kim’s meetings with other world leaders are usually kept under wraps until he’s back in the country.

1.45pm

The question Kim refused to answer

Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un appeared warm and pleasant before and after their private meeting — but there’s one question the North Korean dictator refused to answer.

When the 38-minute meeting concluded, the leaders waved their hands and approached the deck where foreign journalists were waiting.

Kim was reportedly asked three times about denuclearisation, but he smiled and said nothing according to the White House press pool.

The North Korean leader was asked twice, “Chairman Kim, will you denuclearise?” and said nothing. The third unanswered question was: “Mr Kim, will you give up your nuclear weapons, sir?”

He and Mr Trump walked away, ignoring questions that were shouted out to them.

They then moved into the expanded meeting with their two interpreters and security details.

Denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula was America’s main goal for the summit. Everything was dependent on the hermit nation’s willingness to denuclearise.

Experts have argued the summit in itself is a win for North Korea, for the regime has long craved recognition and international status by meeting with a US leader.

But according to the White House press pool, when Mr Trump was asked how the meeting went, he responded: “Very very good!”

The President is expected to give details of the discussion in an address to the media this evening.

Kim Jong-un would not answer when he was asked repeatedly about denuclearisation.
Kim Jong-un would not answer when he was asked repeatedly about denuclearisation.
Trump-Kim meeting: In pictures
US President Donald Trump (R) gestures as he meets with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (L) at the start of their historic US-North Korea summit, at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island in Singapore on June 12, 2018. Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un have become on June 12 the first sitting US and North Korean leaders to meet, shake hands and negotiate to end a decades-old nuclear stand-off. / AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEB
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1.30pm

Menu for the working lunch revealed

Here’s the menu for the working lunch, courtesy of the White House press pool:

Starters

Traditional prawn cocktail served with avocado salad

Green mango kerabu with honey lime dressing & fresh octopus

“Oiseon” (Korean stuffed cucumber)

Main course

Beef short rib confit, served with potato dauphinois and steam broccolini, red wine sauce on the side

Combination of sweet & sour crispy pork and Yangzhou Fried Rice with homemade XO chili sauce

“Daegu jorim” (Soy Braised cod fish with Radish, Asian Vegetables)

Desserts

Dark chocolate tartlet ganache

Haagendazs vanilla iced cream with cherry coulis

Tropezienne

Sounds delish.

1.10pm

Why Kim arrived before Trump

Kim Jong-un’s car pulled up to the summit at the Capella Hotel seven minutes before Donald Trump’s did.

Here’s an interesting suggestion as to why, courtesy of the White House press pool: “According Korean media, Mr Kim actually arrived in summit venue 7 minutes earlier than Mr Trump to show respect, it’s cultural, the young one should arrive earlier than the elder one.”

Mr Trump’s choice of tie colour may have held significance too, with the reporter suggesting it’s the colour North Koreans like best.

Did Donald Trump wear a red tie as a symbolic gesture?
Did Donald Trump wear a red tie as a symbolic gesture?

12.30pm

Moon Jae-in weighs in on summit

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has weighed in on the summit, saying he didn’t sleep the night before.

“I too spent a sleepless night,” he said, according to the Korea Times. “I, along with all our people, sincerely hope that it will be a successful summit that will open a new era of complete denuclearisation, peace and a new relationship between South Korea, North Korea and the United States.”

He said this is just the beginning of a “long process” to completely denuclearise the North and bring peace to the Korean peninsula.

“The deep-rooted hostile relationship and the North Korean nuclear issue cannot be resolved in one single action in a meeting between leaders,” he said yesterday. “Even after the two leaders open the dialogue, we will need a long process that may take one year, two years or even longer to completely resolve the issues.”

12.10pm

Trump’s big vow to Kim after historic meeting

Donald Trump has vowed to Kim Jong-un that they will solve a “big dilemma” together.

After their private meeting, the leaders moved to a larger discussion with their advisers and interpreters present, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, national security adviser John Bolton, White House chief of staff John Kelly and an interpreter.

“It’s a great honour to be with you, and I know we’ll have tremendous success together,” Mr Trump told the North Korean leader across the table. “We’ll solve the big problem, the big dilemma, that until this point has been unable to be solved.

“We will be successful. And I look forward to working on it with you. It will be done.”

It’s likely Mr Trump was referring to the need to denuclearise the Korean peninsula.

More details of this exchange are expected when he addresses the media at 6pm (AEST).

Press have now left the room and an expanded working lunch will get under way.

Donald Trump has vowed to Kim Jong-un that they will solve a ‘big dilemma’ together.
Donald Trump has vowed to Kim Jong-un that they will solve a ‘big dilemma’ together.

11.50pm

Private meeting ends between Trump and Kim

The one-on-one meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un finished after 38 minutes, according to the White House press pool.

As they left, Mr Trump said the meeting was “very, very good” and that they have an “excellent relationship”, according to Associated Press.

The pair smiled a few times as they walked along the breezeway.

“Many people in the world will think of this as a ... form of fantasy ... from a science fiction movie,” Kim’s translator said at the end of the last breezeway walk, according to audio from CNN.

11.40am

Dennis Rodman breaks down during interview

The former NBA star burst into tears during a passionate live interview about the summit.

Appearing on CNN in a “Make America Great Again” hat and sunglasses shortly after Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un exchanged greetings, Dennis Rodman became emotional when he was asked what it was like when he visited North Korea and returned home during the Obama administration.

“Obama didn’t even give me the time of day,” he said. “I asked him — I said I have something to say from North Korea. He just brushed me off. But that didn’t deter me.

“I kept going back ... I showed my loyalty to this country, and I said to everybody, ‘The door will open’.”

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

11.20am

Trump describes meeting as ‘tremendously successful’

Mr Trump has described the meeting as “tremendously successful”, with the pair now seated together in front of the media.

“We will have a terrific relationship, I have no doubt,” the US President said.

“The old prejudices and practices worked as obstacles on our way forward, but we overcame all of them and we are here today,” added Kim.

The body language between the pair has been notably warm. Mr Trump gave Kim a thumbs up as he said “we overcame all”.

They exchanged another handshake and touched each other on the arm.

Both leaders have been openly smiling.

Mr Trump described the meeting as ‘tremendously successful’, with the pair now seated together in front of the media.
Mr Trump described the meeting as ‘tremendously successful’, with the pair now seated together in front of the media.
Critics noted the pair’s exchange appeared warm and inviting.
Critics noted the pair’s exchange appeared warm and inviting.
The two leaders touched each other on the arm and have been smiling at each other.
The two leaders touched each other on the arm and have been smiling at each other.
Earlier, there was speculation over whether Donald Trump would smile, as he usually does when he greets world leaders, or greet Kim Jong-un in a more reserved fashion.
Earlier, there was speculation over whether Donald Trump would smile, as he usually does when he greets world leaders, or greet Kim Jong-un in a more reserved fashion.
The pair will now enter a one-on-one meeting together, with only their translators.
The pair will now enter a one-on-one meeting together, with only their translators.
It’s unknown how long the pair’s private meeting will last, but the White House has estimated it to take 45 minutes.
It’s unknown how long the pair’s private meeting will last, but the White House has estimated it to take 45 minutes.

11.05am

Kim and Trump meet face-to-face

In a historic moment, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have met face-to-face for the first time, appearing before the media in front of the American and North Korean flags at the Capella Hotel in Singapore.

At 9.04am, Mr Trump and Mr Kim approached from opposite sides of a white colonnade, shook hands and posed for photo. Kim could be heard saying “Nice to meet you, Mr President.”

They then shook hands again and walked off stage together.

The leaders are shortly expected to enter a meeting room one-on-one, accompanied solely by their translators, before moving into an expanded meeting later in the day.

It is unknown how long the private meeting will last, but the White House schedule has given it roughly 45 minutes.

The pair will begin a working lunch at 1.30pm (AEST) before Mr Trump addresses the media later this evening.

Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have met face-to-face for the first time.
Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have met face-to-face for the first time.

11.00am

Kim and Trump arrive at summit site

Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump have arrived at the summit site.

The North Korean leader arrived first, got out of his vehicle and swiftly entered the Capella Hotel without smiling.

Mr Trump arrived a few minutes later.

Kim Jong-un has arrived at the Capella Hotel.
Kim Jong-un has arrived at the Capella Hotel.
Donald Trump reached the destination a few minutes after Kim Jong-un.
Donald Trump reached the destination a few minutes after Kim Jong-un.

10.45am

Last-minute shock for Trump

Just minutes before his meeting with Kim Jong-un, Donald Trump tweeted that Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow has suffered a heart attack.

The financial analyst, who currently serves under the US President, is now in Walter Reed Medical Centre.

10.40am

Kim arrives at summit site

Kim Jong-un has arrived at the Capella Hotel. The two leaders are now due to shake hands in 20 minutes — in what will be the first time in history a sitting US President has met with his North Korean counterpart.

After meeting in front of the media for 15 minutes, they are expected to meet one-on-one, accompanied solely by their translators.

According to CNN, a senior US official said the welcome will be “warm, polite, respectful” — but it’s unknown if Mr Trump will smile as he usually does when greeting world leaders.

10.15am

Kim Jong-un is now on the move

Kim Jong-un has just departed for the meeting.

He will make the 30-minute drive from the St Regis Hotel to Sentosa Island to begin historic negotiations with the US President.

A motorcade transporting North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un sets off to Sentosa.
A motorcade transporting North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un sets off to Sentosa.

10.00am

Donald Trump has left his hotel

Donald Trump has now departed the Shangri-La Hotel and is en route to meet Kim Jong-un for the historic summit.

He is headed to the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island with a police escort accompanying him.

Mr Trump and Mr Kim will appear before the media for the first time together in less than an hour.

In light of this significant occasion, the president ... just tweeted this:

Traffic crosses the causeway leading to Sentosa, the resort island where US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.
Traffic crosses the causeway leading to Sentosa, the resort island where US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.
The motorcade (centre) carrying US President Donald Trump crosses over to Sentosa.
The motorcade (centre) carrying US President Donald Trump crosses over to Sentosa.

9.45am

Two words to listen out for after summit

Donald Trump has vowed not to use the term “maximum pressure” in the meeting with Kim Jong-un.

In a joint press conference with Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe last week, the US leader said his use of the term this evening would be an indicator of how well the meeting went.

“Maximum pressure is absolutely in effect. We don’t use the term anymore because we’re going into a friendly negotiation,” he said. “Perhaps after that negotiation I will be using it again. You’ll know how well we do in the negotiation. If you hear me saying we’re going to use “maximum pressure,” you’ll know the negotiation did not do well, frankly. There’s no reason to say it.”

Mr Trump has also claimed he will know within the “first minute” if Kim Jong-un is serious about giving up his nuclear arsenal.

Speaking to reporters at the G7 summit in Canada last week, he said: “I think within the first minute, I’ll know.”

“Just my touch, my feel, that’s what I do,” he said. “How long will it take to figure out if they’re serious? You know, the way they say you know if you’re going to like somebody in the first five seconds, you ever hear that one? I think very quickly I’ll know whether or not something good is going to happen.”

Donald Trump has vowed not to use the term “maximum pressure” during the meeting with Kim Jong-un.
Donald Trump has vowed not to use the term “maximum pressure” during the meeting with Kim Jong-un.

9.30am

Mike Pompeo departs for summit

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been snapped on his way to the summit.

Addressing the media in Singapore yesterday, Mr Pompeo said the meeting is “truly a mission of peace”.

“North Korea has previously confirmed to us its willingness to denuclearise, and we are eager to see if those words prove sincere,” he said. “The fact that our two leaders are sitting down face-to-face is a sign of the enormous potential to accomplish something that will immensely benefit both of our peoples and the entire world.”

He said he is “hopeful” the summit will “set the conditions for future productive talks”.

Mr Pompeo will not be part of the initial meeting at 11.15am (AEST), which according to the White House will consist solely of Mr Trump, Mr Kim and their respective translators.

8.45am

Trump hits back at ‘haters and losers’

Donald Trump has issued another tweet this morning — this time faulting the unnamed “haters and losers” who opposed the summit.

He notes North Korea releasing a trio of US citizen hostages and halting missile tests after floating talks.

Earlier this month, Kim Jong-un released three American hostages who had been held for months in the reclusive country. The move was considered a diplomatic gesture in the lead-up to the summit.

In April Kim agreed to immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests.

8.30am

Julie Bishop weighs in on ‘unorthodox’ leaders

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop seems optimistic about the summit after speaking with Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

“I was in contact with Vivian last night and he confirmed that both leaders are very upbeat and positive about a potential breakthrough at this meeting,” she told Sunrise this morning. “So let’s hope the summit is a success and we do see real concrete genuine steps towards peace on the Korean peninsula.”

Ms Bishop said she’s hopeful that after the “getting-to-know-you period”, the pair can sit down and work out details for a second meeting. “Our expectation should be that some progress will be made,” she said.

She wouldn’t say whether the meeting made her nervous, but noted both leaders were “unorthodox” in their styles.

8.15am

Dennis Rodman arrives for Trump-Kim summit

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman arrived in Singapore late yesterday ahead of the summit, saying he was “excited to be part of it”.

“It should go fairly well, but people should not expect so much for the first time,” Rodman told reporters at the airport. “The doors are opening.”

There has been no indication Rodman would be involved in any official talks at the summit, and last week, Mr Trump said he wasn’t invited to Singapore.

Rodman is one of a handful of Westerners to have visited reclusive North Korea and met Mr Kim, who is believed to be a huge basketball fan and occasional player. The former basketballer has called the North Korean leader his “friend for life”.

After his most recent five-day visit, he told reporters: “I’m just trying to open the door.”

— Reuters

8.00am

Kim’s sister spotted in Singapore

Kim Yo-jong has been sighted in Singapore.

The sister of the North Korean leader accompanied her brother to the historic summit, but reportedly flew in separately due to security concerns.

In this video grab, she can be seen arriving before her brother’s tour of the Sands Sky Park at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel.

Ms Kim was the first member of North Korea’s ruling family to visit South Korea when she travelled to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in February.

Kim Yo Jong has touched down in Singapore.
Kim Yo Jong has touched down in Singapore.

7.30am

‘Meetings going well and quickly’

It’s 5.30am in Singapore, but US President Donald Trump is already up and tweeting.

He just said everything seems to be running smoothly — with a touch of scepticism thrown in for good measure.

7.20am

North Koreans waking up to summit news

This summit has been infiltrating your news feeds for weeks, but yesterday was the first time North Koreans heard their Supreme Leader had touched down in Singapore.

According to CNN, crowds of North Koreans gathered outside a train station in Pyongyang to watch news of the summit broadcast onto a big screen, which included an update from famed North Korean news anchor Ri Chun Hee.

“The historic first meeting and talks between the respected and beloved Comrade Supreme Leader and Donald Trump, President of the United States of America, will be held on the morning of June 12 in the Republic of Singapore,” she announced, in her trademark excited tone.

She noted the summit was a “historical first” that is “garnering the attention and hopes of the entire world.”

The announcement is a break from traditional coverage of Kim’s summits, which usually only reaches North Koreans after the meetings have ended.

North Koreans have just learnt about the summit.
North Koreans have just learnt about the summit.

7.00am

Eye-watering cost of the summit

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told local media the total cost of the summit would be $S20 million ($A19.7 million). Yowza.

Security:

Mr Lee said half of the figure would be spent on security, although the total amount is difficult to determine as much of the security consists of existing personnel that have been deployed around-the-clock.

The security requirements are much higher than for previous meetings, with Mr Lee noting it’s not just policemen but “all-round protection and in-depth protection — air, sea, land, against attack and against mishap”.

Accommodation:

The entire five-star Capella luxury resort has been booked for the event. The most basic room at the resort goes for $S695, with the most expensive booking at almost $S13,000 per night.

Hundreds of other hotel rooms have been booked for the actual event, including at the Shangri La hotel where Mr Trump is staying, and the St Regis where Mr Kim will be. An average night at these hotels is around $S535. Throw in hundreds of rooms for cameramen, personal security guards … you do the maths.

Media:

Accommodating the estimated 2500 journalists will also bear a large brunt of the costs — about $S5 million, according to the Ministry of Communications and Information. Singapore has built an international media centre for the event from scratch at the F1 Pit Building, including a stage and 2000 workstations, and they are bringing in satellite trucks and cable networks for the summit.

But it’s believed that the benefits will outweigh the costs. Mr Lee said it was a “whole of Singapore effort”, noting that while ordinary Singaporeans had had their lives “a little bit inconvenienced” due to road closures and traffic jams, it was a “national effort”.

It wasn’t easy to find a suitable location for the meeting, partly due to the difficulty of finding a country that had diplomatic relations with both sides.

“Therefore, when the two sides asked us to host the meeting, we cannot say no,” Mr Lee said. “We have to step up … We can do a good job.”

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/live-trumpkim-singapore-summit/news-story/285c08b328194e2ccb0fdee80f97c72e