Trump arrives for sensational Vietnam summit as Kim Jong-un tours Hanoi
The paranoid leader was flanked by a swarm of bodyguards as he toured Vietnam in an armoured limo before Donald Trump jetted in.
Donald Trump has flown into Vietnam on Air Force One for his summit with Kim Jong-un, who made a dramatic arrival by armoured train, before switching to a limousine for a tour of Hanoi.
Flanked by his elite team of besuited bodyguards and followed by a crowd of thousands, the North Korean leader revelled in the spectacle ahead of his summit with Mr Trump in the Vietnamese capital.
His swarm of protectors made an astonishing sight as they jogged through the streets around his armoured Mercedes Benz. The hand-picked team — who caused a stir at the Trump-Kim June summit in Singapore and at April’s inter-Korea meeting — act as a human shield for the famously paranoid leader.
They are hand-picked from the Korean People’s Army for their fitness, marksmanship, martial arts skills, background and even looks, and they must be roughly the same height as Kim.
One aide was seen sprinting down the red carpet to stand beside a beaming Kim as he stepped off his train at the border town of Dong Dang following a two-and-a-half day journey through China. The young dictator accepted a bouquet of flowers before the throng of people, with a military guard of honour in pristine white uniforms presenting arms.
Kim then headed to Hanoi in a motorcade along a closed 170-kilometre stretch of highway, greeted by cheering, flag-waving crowds behind barriers near the colonial-era pastel yellow Hanoi Opera House before arriving at the Melia hotel.
WATCH: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gets a red carpet welcome as he arrives in Vietnam ahead of his summit with US President Donald Trump. | Video from @Reuters pic.twitter.com/wfJOpsfcyu
— ABS-CBN News Channel (@ANCALERTS) February 26, 2019
Kim Jong-un's car has been seen surrounded by jogging bodyguards in Singapore to provide him with an extra layer of security. The North Korean dictator is fearful of assassination attempts during his time in the Asian nation for a summit with Trumphttps://t.co/yDWCKP8oHl pic.twitter.com/exeLxNTDU0
— ITV News (@itvnews) June 11, 2018
Kim was barely visible among the crowd of bodyguards as he arrived at the North Korean embassy ahead of the crunch talks, which will begin on Wednesday with an official greeting and private dinner, followed by a series of meetings on Thursday.
The second summit between the two leaders aims to find a solution to one of the world’s biggest security crises — North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
Their first meeting in Singapore last June failed to produce any obvious gains, although Mr Trump declared it a success, insisting there was “no longer a threat from North Korea”.
The United States wants North Korea to commit to complete and verifiable denuclearisation, but only received vague promises on this from Kim, while agreeing to suspend military exercises with South Korea in the region.
POTUS schedule for Wednesday meetings with Kim Jong Un in Hanoi. Local time/EST. pic.twitter.com/bUA5nZBNum
— David Nakamura (@DavidNakamura) February 26, 2019
Critics called this a major concession with no guarantees in return. But Pyongyang claims it has taken major steps towards denuclearisation, not testing any ballistic missiles or nuclear weapons for more than a year, and blowing up the entrances to its atomic test site.
However, the value of nuclear facilities such as the Punggye-ri test site are unclear, and the West has no way of knowing what capabilities Kim retains. Satellite images suggest North Korea’s key nuclear reactor for producing weapons-grade plutonium, Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center, is still developing bomb material.
Former South Korean vice minister of foreign affairs Kim Sung-han called this “self-directed denuclearisation”, in which Kim offers to dismantle nuclear facilities of his choosing to give the appearance of progress while avoiding establishing a plan for denuclearisation, providing a nuclear inventory or permitting inspections.
“The window for diplomatic progress with North Korea will not remain open indefinitely,” said Kelsey Davenport from the Arms Control Association. “The second summit ... must emphasise substance over pageantry.”
The North wants increased security guarantees, which could come in the form of a declaration of an end to the decades-long Korean War, which began in the 1950s.
Another step could be opening liaison offices to signal the first stage of normalising US-North Korean relations, said Go Myong-hyun of the Asan Institute of Policy Studies, a “politically symbolic step” that many would prefer to prematurely agreeing to sanctions relief.
For Kim, the relationship with Mr Trump gives him legitimacy on the global stage and may be a path towards weakening economic sanctions against North Korea.
In a New Year’s speech in which he offered to meet again, Kim warned that if the US “persists in imposing sanctions” he would take a “new path” — which could mean anything from ending dialogue to more missile tests.
“Kim Jong Un is showing confidence that he believes he can control events,” said Jung Pak, a Brookings Institution senior fellow and former senior CIA analyst on North Korea. “The perception that he is in a position of strength doesn’t bode well for dialogue.”
Mr Trump has repeatedly hinted at withdrawing US troops from South Korea, but there are fears over what this could mean for the region.
The young North Korean leader is known for his brutality, arranging the murder of his half-brother and execution of his uncle and keeping 100,000 prisoners in forced labour as many citizens live in abject poverty.
Just landed - a long trip, but everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2018
Many good conversations with North Korea-it is going well! In the meantime, no Rocket Launches or Nuclear Testing in 8 months. All of Asia is thrilled. Only the Opposition Party, which includes the Fake News, is complaining. If not for me, we would now be at War with North Korea!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2018
Mr Trump is more concerned with maintaining a dialogue and ending the North’s nuclear program than Kim’s human rights record.
Kim has continued his diplomacy efforts following the Singapore summit, sending “beautiful letters” to the US President, who said the pair “fell in love”. He also met with the Chinese president Xi Jinping and South Korean president Moon Jae-in, who is also eager to forge peace between the divided powers.
“I think we’ll have a very tremendous summit,” said Mr Trump before leaving Washington on Monday, adding that he expected the talks to be “very productive”.
But experts are concerned he could make more concessions without the guarantee that North Korea will give up anything.
The pair will be joined by two Kim aides, plus White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Kim prefers to meet with Mr Trump rather than his staff, with North Korea accusing Mr Pompeo of having a “gangster like” attitude at a meeting following the first summit, before calling a later meeting in New York.
However, staff-level engagement has ramped up this year ahead of the second summit, as Hanoi scrambled to arrange security in just ten days, where Singapore had two months.
Vietnam is another country under one-party rule, although it has more successfully opened itself up to the world.
Meeting for breakfast with our Nation’s Governors - then off to Vietnam for a very important Summit with Kim Jong Un. With complete Denuclearization, North Korea will rapidly become an Economic Powerhouse. Without it, just more of the same. Chairman Kim will make a wise decision!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2019
Mr Trump dangled a tantalising offer of renewed influence for Kim before the summit, saying that giving up nuclear weapons could help the country “fast become one of the great economic powers.”
The US President said he was certain “Chairman Kim” would “make a wise decision”, adding: “I think he’ll have a country that will set a lot of records for speed in terms of an economy.”
Whether these promises and flattery will work on the young leader remains to be seen. But the days of exchanging insults, with Mr Trump calling Kim “little rocket man” and promising “fire and fury” are gone.
Mr Trump and the White House have played down expectations for this summit, with the President last week saying he was in “no rush” for Pyongyang to prove it was abandoning its weapons.
“I don’t want to rush anybody,” he said. “I just don’t want testing. As long as there’s no testing, we’re happy.”
He also hinted more summits could follow the Hanoi meeting, reducing expectations of a dramatic breakthrough. But the US President is keen to declare a victory to offset the political turmoil he faces at home.
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