Trump-Kim summit: North Korea leader ‘committed’ to destroy missile test site
Donald Trump is confident Kim Jong-un wants to ‘get it done’ as the US president opens up on the details of Tuesday’s summit.
Hello and welcome to The Australian’s live coverage of Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un’s historic Singapore summit. It started at 11am AEST at the Capella Resort hotel on Sentosa Island. The leaders had a solo meeting for nearly 50 minutes before going into bilateral talks with their advisers. They also had a ‘working lunch’ and unexpectedly signed a denuclearisation agreement.
Top story: • Kim Jong-un commits to denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula
11.36pm: Trump stuns a region
President Donald Trump rocked the region with the stunning announcement that he was halting annual US-South Korean military drills - and wants to remove the 28,500 US troops stationed in the South as a deterrent against North Korea.
Trump’s surprise, almost offhand comments, made during a news conference after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, seemingly upended decades of the US defense posture on the Korean Peninsula.
The remarks contradicted countless previous declarations by US political and military officials over the years that the drills are routine, defensive and absolutely critical.
Trump has now essentially adopted the standard North Korean line, calling the military exercises a “provocative” drain of money and announcing they would stop while he continues talks with Kim, whom he repeatedly praised as a solid negotiating partner.
His statement was quickly portrayed by critics as a major, unreciprocated concession to a country that only last year was threatening Seoul and Washington with nuclear war.
It also seemed to leave officials completely off guard in South Korea, where the presence of US troops has long been described as necessary to maintaining peace on the peninsula.
Seoul’s presidential office told The Associated Press that it was trying to parse Trump’s comments. The South Korean military seemed similarly surprised. “At this current point, there is a need to discern the exact meaning and intent of President Trump’s comments,” Seoul’s Defense Ministry said, adding that there have been no discussions yet with Washington on modifying drills set for August. US forces in South Korea said it has “received no updated guidance on the execution or cessation of training exercises” and will continue to coordinate with South Korean partners and maintain the current posture until it receives an updated guidance from the Department of Defense or the Indo-Pacific Command. Trump’s comments will be questioned by many in South Korea and beyond, with some seeing in them an effort by North Korea to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington.
North Korea regularly calls the military exercises provocative preparations for a northward invasion, and many of the scariest standoffs in recent years on the Korean Peninsula have happened when the drills were being staged. Outside analysts believe the North objects to the drills because it must spend precious resources on its own war games and troop movements. North Korea also insists that the US troop presence in the South, as well as its nuclear “umbrella” over allies Seoul and Tokyo, are part of America’s “hostile” policy toward the North.
“I want to bring our soldiers back home,” Trump said, although he added that it’s “not part of the equation right now.” Then he said: “We will be stopping the war games, which will save us a tremendous amount of money unless and until we see the future negotiation is not going along like it should. But we’ll be saving a tremendous amount of money. Plus, I think it’s very provocative.” The comments could fundamentally change the way the United States, whose alliance with Seoul was forged after a 1950 surprise attack by the North started the Korean War, operates in South Korea.
Trump’s announcement that the US would stop military exercises, his description of those drills as “provocative” and his suggestion that he wants to pull US troops out at some point are “all things that Trump is putting on the table as concessions, all in exchange for some vague promises by the North Koreans,” said Paul Haenle, a former China director at the White House National Security Council in the Barack Obama and George W. Bush administrations.
Annual military drills between Washington and Seoul have been a major source of contention between the Koreas for years, and analysts have wondered whether their continuation would hurt the inter-Korean detente that, since an outreach by Kim in January, has replaced last year’s insults and threats of war. North Korea last month broke off a high-level meeting with Seoul over South Korea’s participation in a two-week military exercise with the United States. North Korea’s state media, referring to the drills, recently demanded that Washington “stop the acts of threatening its dialogue partner by force.” Since the 1970s, the United States and South Korea have held a major summertime exercise called Ulchi Freedom Guardian that involves tens of thousands of troops. There are also annual springtime drills. Drills called Team Spirit, one of the largest annual military maneuvers in the world at the time, were held from 1976 until 1993, when, after North Korea agreed to dismantle its existing nuclear facilities, the exercises were canceled and have not been held since. Moon Seong Mook, a former South Korean military official, said Trump’s comments on the drills confirmed what many in South Korea had feared all along - that North Korea would attempt to drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul and gain substantial concessions from an unconventional US president who thinks much less of the traditional alliance than his predecessors.
“The core of the US-South Korea alliance is the US troops stationed in South Korea and the joint US-South Korea military drills, but the American military presence in South Korea wouldn’t mean much if the militaries don’t practice through joint drills,” said Moon, now a senior analyst for the Seoul-based Korea Research Institute for National Strategy. “I am concerned that the summit between Trump and Kim will prove to be a setback in the global efforts to denuclearize North Korea and also introduce instability in the alliance between Seoul and Washington.”
AP
10.50pm: ‘He wants to get it done’
US President Donald Trump says the deals he’s struck earlier in his life have taught him that “sometimes the people you most distrust turn out to be the most honourable”.
Speaking to US broadcaster ABC following the Singapore summit, Mr Trump said be believes Kim is acting in good faith.
“Over my lifetime I’ve done a lot of deals with a lot of people and sometimes the people you most distrust turn out to be the most honourable ones and the people that you do trust turn out to be not the honourable ones,” Mr Trump said.
The US President also said he thought the war games were “provocative” and “expensive”.
“You know, I wanted to stop the war games, I thought they were very provocative,” Mr Trump said. “But I also think they’re very expensive. We’re running the country properly, I think they’re very, very expensive. To do it, we have to fly planes in from Guam — that’s six and a half hours away. Big bombers and everything else, I said, ‘Who’s paying for this?’ I mean, who pays, in order to practice.”
Mr Trump appeared to acknowledge that the denuclearisation process could take up to 15 years.
“It takes a period of time. Some say 15 years, if you go rapidly. But when you’re in the process of doing it, you’re really dismantling, in other words, you can’t do anything during that period of time. But they have a process for getting rid of nukes that does take, it’s not like, oh gee, we’ll get rid of them tomorrow.
“It just can’t be done scientifically. But they’re gonna do it. They’re gonna start immediately. They really already started. They blew up a site, which was the real deal site that was their big site, they’ve blown it up. They’re getting rid of things that haven’t been mentioned in the document, they’re getting rid of certain missile areas and they’re not going to be sending missiles up.”
Mr Trump conceded it could be a mistake in trusting Kim.
“Maybe in a year you’ll be interviewing and I’ll say I made a mistake. It’s possible. We’re dealing at a high level, a lot of things can change, a lot of things are possible.”
10.05pm: Trump ‘felt foolish’
President Donald Trump says he sometimes “felt foolish” lobbing insults at North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. But he says without his harsh rhetoric, their summit may never have happened.
Trump is reflecting on his evolving rhetoric in an interview with Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity in Singapore.
Trump, who had threatened “fire and fury” and called Kim “Little Rocket Man,” says: “I think without the rhetoric we wouldn’t have been here.” He says that past administrations had what he called “a policy of silence” and didn’t respond when rivals “said something very bad and very threatening and horrible.” Trump says, “That’s not the answer.” He says of his rhetoric: “I hated to do it. Sometimes I felt foolish doing it. But we had no choice.”
AP
9.55pm: South Korea dodge training commitment
South Korea’s Defense Ministry is sidestepping an immediate reaction to President Donald Trump’s claim that Washington and Seoul should stop their regular military drills.
The ministry says it would first need to figure out the “exact meaning and intent” of such comments, echoing a stance taken by the presidential office. The ministry had said in recent weeks that there were no immediate plans between Washington and Seoul to modify the annual drills despite Pyongyang’s anger toward them.
AP
8.40pm: Denuclearisation must be ‘total, verifiable’
President Donald Trump is telling reporters that North Korea’s denuclearization will have to be total and verifiable as he prepares to head home from his historic summit with Kim Jong-un.
Trump spoke with reporters on Tuesday shortly before Air Force One took off from Singapore after a day of meetings with Kim.
Trump says the US would have to verify North Korea’s denuclearisation. He says: “We’re going to have to check it. We will check it. Total and complete.” Trump is heading home a day earlier than expected. He said he didn’t want to stay an extra night when everything he’d set out to do had been accomplished. He says, “There was nothing more we could have done.” Trump will be stopping in Guam and Hawaii as he makes his way back to Washington.
AP
Primrose Riordan 8.00pm: Bishop welcomes deal with ‘cautious optimism’
Australia is examining how the country can assist with verifying North Korea’s progress toward denuclearisation, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said as she welcomed the historic deal with “cautious optimism”.
Agency heads briefed cabinet ministers at a National Security Council meeting in Canberra on Tuesday and Australia is expecting a separate briefing from the US on the agreement with Pyongyang.
Ms Bishop said the deal was “a step in the right direction” and the “first positive development we’ve seen involving North Korea in over a decade”.
“We’re cautiously optimistic… It’s a breakthrough. There’s been a document signed by a US president and a North Korean leader, committing to denuclearisation,” she told the ABC.
“But of course the test will be verification of the denuclearisation.”
The foreign minister said Australia wanted to be involved in the process. “The Australian government is currently assessing what we could offer in terms of expertise to assist in that verification process.”
Mr Trump said this evening he would cease US-South Korean military exercises and said he hoped to eventually withdraw US troops from South Korea.
Asked about the move to stop exercises, Labor Defence Spokesman Richard Marles said it was important that pressure was maintained on North Korea. “Maintaining pressure on North Korea is fundamental,” he told The ABC.
Mr Marles said the world was safer by having the men meet but there was a “long way to go” before there was denuclearisation.
Ahead of the meeting Julie Bishop said the deal will only be as strong as the process to check Kim Jong-un as gotten rid of his country’s weapons.
“The agreement will only be as good as the strength of the verification process put in place,” Ms Bishop said this morning on Sky News.
After a friendly meeting between Mr Trump and the North Korean leader on Tuesday in Singapore the two leaders signed a short joint declaration reaffirming Pyongyang’s commitment to the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, and committing the United States to security guarantees in return.
Korean peninsula experts heavily criticised the one page agreement as a disappointment, saying it was “thin” and has a “vague meaningless pledge”.
“This is depressing. This is even thinner than most sceptics anticipated. I figured Trump would at least get…something concrete,” Korean expert at Pusan National University Robert E. Kelly said.
7.50pm: Trump ‘really believes’ Kim’s pledge
President Donald Trump says he really believes North Korea’s Kim Jong-un is going to make good on his promise to denuclearize.
Trump said Tuesday near the end of a lengthy press conference in Singapore that he may be wrong about Kim, but he’ll never admit it.
Trump jokes that he “may stand before you in six months and say, ‘Hey, I was wrong.”’ But he says, “I don’t know that I’ll ever admit that.” Trump appeared to be in a good spirits as he answered questions for almost an hour following a day of meetings with Kim and other North Korean officials. He ended by congratulating reporters and saying he’s eager to “take it a little bit easy” now that the highly anticipated summit is over.
AP
7.25pm: ‘We’ll need to meet again’
President Donald Trump says he thinks “we’ll probably need another summit”- or at least a second meeting - with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un as they discuss Kim’s commitment to denuclearization.
But Trump told reporters in Singapore on Tuesday that he and Kim were able to cover far more ground than he’d expected.
He says, “We’re much further along than I would have thought.” Trump answered reporters’ questions at a free-wheeling press conference before returning to the US.
He appeared to be enjoying himself as he went back and forth with the press.
AP
7.20pm: ‘I think he’s going to do these things’
President Donald Trump says North Korea has a “substantial arsenal” of nuclear weapons and the summit should have happened five years ago.
At a news conference Tuesday after his meeting with Kim Jong-un, Trump discussed efforts to press him to get rid of its nuclear weapons.
The president says that the US doesn’t have a lot of intelligence on the country but that “we have enough intelligence to know that what they have is very substantial.” The president says Kim understands what the US has been pushing for in the talks. Trump says, “I think he’s going to do these things.”
AP
7.15pm: Iran’s nuclear warning
The spokesman for the Iranian government is warning North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that President Donald Trump could nullify any nuclear deal with North Korea. The semi-official Fars news agency quotes Mohammad Bagher Nobakht as saying Tuesday: “We are facing a man who revokes his signature while abroad.” Nobakht’s remarks are the first by an Iranian official after Trump and Kim concluded their nuclear summit.
While flying for talks with Kim on Sunday, Trump rejected an agreement signed by the leaders of the G-7 countries at their summit in Canada.
The US also pulled out of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with Iran in May.
AP
7.11pm: ‘We’re getting together next week’
President Donald Trump says discussions over the next steps to take with North Korea will be happening soon.
Trump said Tuesday after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore that “We’re getting together next week to go into the details.” It’s unclear where those discussions will take place or which North Korean officials will be involved.
But he says the talks will include Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton.
A joint agreement signed by the two leaders earlier Tuesday says the US and North Korea have committed to hold follow-up negotiations, led by Pompeo and “a relevant high-level DPRK official” at the “earliest possible date.”
AP
7.10pm: Trudeau cost Canada ‘a lot of money’: Trump
President Donald Trump says that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “learned” from the mistake of criticizing him and that it’s going to cost Canada “a lot of money.” At a news conference in Singapore on Tuesday, Trump recounted his recent tough exchanges with Trudeau. He says the Canadian leader must not have realized that Trump had televisions on Air Force One, allowing him to monitor Trudeau’s news conference at the end of the G-7 summit.
The president also recounted his discussions during the G-7 summit and his decision to withdraw the US from the final document. Trump says the photo taken of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and others standing before him was taken as they were waiting for changes he’d requested.
Trump says it “didn’t look friendly” but it was “very friendly.”
AP
7.07pm: China suggests UN movement
China has suggested that the UN Security Council could consider suspending or lifting sanctions against North Korea if Pyongyang is in compliance with UN resolutions and making progress in diplomatic negotiations.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Tuesday that China “welcomes and supports” talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and President Donald Trump to reach consensus on denuclearization and establishing a peace mechanism. Geng told reporters in Beijing that the Security Council’s sanctions against the North could be suspended or lifted in accordance with the North’s actions. Geng says, “Sanctions are not an end,” Geng said. He says: “We believe the Security Council should make efforts to support the diplomat efforts at the present time.”
AP
7.05pm: Trump hits out at criticism
President Donald Trump is pushing back on criticism that the US has gotten little in return for his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Trump told reporters at a news conference in Singapore Tuesday after his meeting that he “gave up nothing.” He says “it’s not a big deal” for world leaders to meet with the president of the United States.
Trump announced that he will stop conducting US military “war games” with ally South Korea while negotiations between the two countries continue. Trump cast the decision as a cost-saving measure, but North Korea has long objected to the drills as a security threat.
Trump also says Kim has committed to denuclearizing his country, but details of how that will happen and be verified have yet to be hashed out.
AP
7.02pm: Sanctions on back-burner
President Donald Trump says he had planned to place another 300 sanctions on North Korea recently, but he held off because it would be “disrespectful” ahead of the meeting.
Trump said Tuesday at a news conference in Singapore following his summit with Kim Jong-un that the US will remove the sanctions already in place when they’re assured that the nuclear weapons “are no longer a factor.” He also says that it takes “a long time to pull off complete denuclearization” but that he will push for North Korea to remove its nuclear weapons as fast as it can “mechanically and physically” be done.
AP
7.00pm: US POW remains to be returned
President Donald Trump says the remains of US prisoners of war and those missing in action during the Korean War will be returned.
Trump said during a news conference Tuesday after a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore that he asked Kim to commit to returning the remains “and we got it.”
The president says he had received “countless calls” and letters from family members asking him to help them receive the remains of their loved ones. Trump says, “The remains will be coming back. They’re going to start that process immediately.”
AP
6.55pm: Kim to visit White House at the ‘appropriate time’
President Donald Trump says he’ll invite North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to visit the White House at the “appropriate time.” And he says Kim has accepted. Trump also says he is open to visiting Kim some day in Pyongyang. Trump is speaking at a press conference Tuesday after a day of meetings with Kim in Singapore.
AP
6.48pm: ‘Make us look thin and perfect’
Footage of a photo opportunity earlier today has emerged, with US President Trump asking photographers to “get a good picture so we look nice and handsome”. The camera then pans across the table to Kim, who didn’t appear to share Trump’s concerns.
'Get a good picture so we look nice and handsome' - Donald Trump asked photographers to make him look 'thin and perfect' at his working lunch with Kim Jong Un #TrumpKim #USNorthKorea pic.twitter.com/tWAYRz8mus
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 12, 2018
6.40pm: Trump defends Kim praise
President Donald Trump is defending his repeated praise of North Korea’s Kim Jong-un during their meetings in spite of Kim’s distressing record on human rights.
Trump told reporters at a press conference in Singapore that Kim “is very talented.” He pointed to Kim’s rise to power at a relatively young age. Trump has appeared largely unconcerned about the implications of feting an authoritarian leader suspected of ordering the public assassination of his half brother with a nerve agent, executing his uncle by firing squad and killing US college student Otto Warmbier.
But Trump says without Warmbier’s death, his meeting with Kim may not have happened. He says, “Otto did not die in vain.” Trump says human rights did come up during the talks, albeit briefly. Trump says he believes Kim wants to do the right thing.
Trump says human rights ‘was discussed’ with Kim.
AP
6.30pm: Kim ‘committed’ to destroy missile test site
During a press conference following the Singapore summit, Donald Trump said Kim Jong-un is committed to destroying a missle engine test site.
Mr Trump also added the Korean War will “soon end”.
The US President said the US is “prepared to start a new history” with North Korea.
AP
6.15pm: Trump talked to Kim prior to summit
President Donald Trump is finally revealing that he spoke directly with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ahead of their Singapore summit.
Trump said in an interview Tuesday with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that he’d spoken with Kim and others before the summit.
Trump had dodged the question for weeks, refusing to answer reporters who asked about their contact.
During a visit to Mar-a-Lago in April, Trump told a reporter that he had spoken with Kim personally, but an aide quickly walked back the statement, saying it was other officials who’d spoken with Kim.
It was later revealed that Trump’s secretary of state had traveled to Pyongyang to meet with Kim.
Trump is describing his day with Kim as “very intense.” He says he believes Kim wants to get denuclearization “done” and says he trusts Kim.
AP
5.30pm: China urges denuclearisation
China has praised the summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un as historic and called for “full denuclearisation” to resolve tensions on the Korean peninsula.
The fact that the two leaders “can sit together and have equal talks has important and positive meaning, and is creating a new history,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters.
“The crux of the peninsula nuclear issue is a security issue. The most important, difficult part of this security issue is for the United States and North Korea to sit down to find a way to resolution via equal talks,” Wang said.
“Resolving the nuclear issue, on the one hand of course is denuclearisation, full denuclearisation. At the same time, there needs to be a peace mechanism for the peninsula, to resolve North Korea’s reasonable security concerns.”
Beijing is Pyongyang’s sole major ally and main trading partner, but it has backed a slew of United Nations sanctions to punish the North over its nuclear and missile tests.
Despite tensions, the Cold War-era allies have sought to mend ties recently, and Kim borrowed an Air China plane to travel to the landmark summit in Singapore.
5.10pm: More on Trump-Kim agreement
A joint declaration signed by Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un says the US has committed to providing “security guarantees” to the North, AP reports.
The document signed at the end of the pair’s historic summit in Singapore on Tuesday also says Kim “reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.”
It’s unclear exactly what Mr Trump has promised Kim in terms of security. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declined to say on Monday whether guarantees might include withdrawing US troops from the Korean Peninsula.
A copy of the text snapped by a photographer at the signing summit says Trump and Kim also discussed how to build “a lasting and robust peace regime on the Korean Peninsula” in their talks.
The document lays out four broad commitments. It says the sides “commit to establish new US-DPRK relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity.”
And it says they will commit to recovering the remains of prisoners of war and those missing in action.
President Trump & Chairman Kim sign historic #Singaporesummit joint statement, the start of a new relationship. pic.twitter.com/uxmniY3neo
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) June 12, 2018
4.40pm: Details of document emerge
Kim Jong-un has committed to “complete denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula” in his joint text with Donald Trump, AFP reports.
The document also reportedly commits the US to “security guarantees” and the establishment of “new US-DPRK relations”.
The text made no mention of US demands for “complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation” — jargon for scrapping weapons and committing to inspections — but did restate a vaguer commitment, AFP saw in a photo of the document.
4.30pm: Kim and co leave Sentosa
Kim Jong-un has left the small Singapore island that was the site of his meeting with Donald Trump, AP reports.
Kim’s convoy left Sentosa Island on Tuesday afternoon after he signed a document with the American president, who stayed behind at the hotel where the two leaders met.
President Trump & Chairman Kim Jong-un depart signing ceremony at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island. #History #SingaporeSummitâ pic.twitter.com/Up9LHobA2j
— Dan Scavino Jr. (@Scavino45) June 12, 2018
4.20pm: Kim ‘a very talented man’
President Trump is praising North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a “very worthy, very smart negotiator” on behalf of his people as the two leaders bid each other farewell after their historic summit, AFP reports.
Mr Trump was asked by reporters in Singapore during his final appearance with Kim on Tuesday what surprised him most during their meetings.
Mr Trump says Kim has a “great personality” and is “very smart. Good combination.” Mr Trump also says he learned Kim is “a very talented man” and “loves his country very much.” He’s wrapping up the summit by saying the two had “a terrific day” and “learned a lot about each other and about our countries.”
He says he expects they’ll meet again many times.
4.05pm: White House invitation on cards
Donald Trump says he “absolutely” would invite Kim Jong-un to the White House.
After Kim and Mr Trump signed what the President called a “pretty comprehensive” document, Mr Trump was asked about a possible invitation. He said “absolutely, I would” invite Kim.
But Mr Trump is refusing to tell reporters what the declaration says. The document is set to be handed out to reporters later.
4pm: ‘We have developed a very special bond’
Kim Jong-un has promised to leave the past behind and show major change in North Korea as Donald Trump declared his summit meeting a resounding success.
“We have decided to leave the past behind and we have decided to sign this historic document,” Mr Kim said in a rare public statement as the leaders ended their summit. “The world will see a major change. I would like to express my gratitude to president trump to make this meeting happen.’
Mr Trump predicted a new era in US-North Korean relations and said he would invite Mr Kim to the White House and that they would both met ‘many times’ more.
“I think our whole relationship with Both Korea and the Korean Peninsula it’s going to be a very much different situation than it has in the past,” the president said.
“We both want to do something, we are both going to do something and we’ve developed a very special bond.”
“We are going to take care of a very big and a very dangerous problem for the world....it worked out for both of us far better than anybody could have expect. This is going to lead to more and more and more.’
The two leader signed a document although the president refused to disclose yet what was in it.
3.20pm: Signing what?
Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un appear to be planning to sign a document in Singapore before they go their separate ways, we just don’t know exactly what the details of the agreement are.
There is speculation it may simply an agreement to continue talks.
#SingaporeSummit signing ceremony room. pic.twitter.com/YFATS9bjVq
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) June 12, 2018
3.05pm: ‘Check out The Beast’
Just a couple of guys talking cars - while the world watches. President Donald Trump offered North Korea leader Kim Jong-un a rare glimpse inside the presidential limousine known as “The Beast” as their historic summit in Singapore wound down.
After meetings and a working lunch, Trump and Kim were spotted approaching Trump’s hulking black limousine, adorned with an American flag.
Trump gestured to the car and then a Secret Service agent opened the right passenger door. Kim could be seen smiling as the two stood chatting and Kim peeked inside. While there was initially some confusion about what the leaders were doing, it quickly became clear that Trump was making a classic alpha male move: showing Kim his ride.
Trump just took Kim over to the Beast. Showing off his ride? pic.twitter.com/MXyYIyifU8
— Jonathan Cheng (@JChengWSJ) June 12, 2018
2.45pm: ‘Better than anyone expected’
Donald Trump has emerged from meetings with Kim Jong-un saying that they went “better than anyone expected. Top of the line, really good, we’re going in for a signing.”
The two leaders are now in a signing ceremony, although they have not revealed what the agreement is.
On the way to the signing ceremony, Mr Trump stopped briefly to show off his presidential limousine to the North Korean leader.
Speaking at the conclusion of a working lunch with Kim, President Trump said “a lot of progress had been made” and the meeting was “really excellent”.
2.20pm: North Korea’s saturation coverage
North Korea’s state media has lauded Singapore as they highlighted Kim Jong-un’s visit to some of its top tourist attractions, AFP reports.
A few hours ahead of his historic summit with Donald Trump -- the first encounter between a leader of the isolated, nuclear-armed North and a sitting US president -- Kim took a break from preparations for a waterfront stroll.
He was accompanied by the city-state’s foreign and education ministers -- with whom he posed for selfies -- and surrounded by officials as police held back pursuing reporters.
But images of the young leader are carefully controlled and managed in the isolated North, and travelling media from Pyongyang enjoyed close access to their leader.
No fewer than 14 images of his visit to the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) hotel, casino and convention centre and other sights were printed on the front page of the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper.
It showed him smiling on the MBS’ rooftop Sky Park observation platform, adding he “learned about the social and economic development” of Singapore.
Other pictures showed onlookers taking pictures of Kim, who has made only two previous trips beyond the Korean peninsula as leader, both of them to China.
Praising Singapore’s “clean and beautiful” environment, Kim vowed to “learn a lot from the good knowledge and experience of Singapore in various fields in the future,” the newspaper added.
The fulsome praise for another country is unusual for the media in the impoverished North, which generally do not show detailed images of affluent foreign countries.
The bright lights of the Singaporean cityscape are a notable contrast to Pyongyang, much of which remains dimly lit at night despite Kim overseeing a number of prestige development projects during his rule.
1.50pm: Trump’s team
We’ve brought you the details of Kim Jong-un’s delegation.
As mentioned, Mr Kim wins on the diversity front, with more women on his team compared to just one - press secretary Sarah Sanders - on Mr Trump’s. The rest of Mr Trump’s delegations is:
Secretary Mike Pompeo, Department of State
General John Kelly, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff
Ambassador John Bolton, Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor
Ms. Sarah Sanders, Assistant to the President and Press Secretary
Ambassador Sung Kin, US Ambassador to the Philippines
Mr. Matthew Pottinger, Deputy Assistant to the President for Asian Affairs
1.45pm: Body language of authoritative Trump, friendly Kim
The body language between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un was sharply different as they met.
Mr Trump seemed more authoritative, more in control. Mr Kim was more friendly and almost child-like, laughing easily. Neither man looked nervous and each seemed to be relishing their place as the eyes of the world were upon them.
By the time the two men were joined by their advisers, Trump had declared that the two had developed ‘an excellent relationship.’
The leaders will soon sit down a lunch which feature a mixture of American and Korean dishes.
MENU
Starters
Traditional prawn’s 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
1.40pm: Talks finish
Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un have completed their bilateral talks and gone straight into a working lunch.
Mr Kim leaves Sinagpore at 4pm AEST, and Mr Trump is scheduled to speak to the media at 6pm AEST.
.@gen_jackkeane: There [are] a lot of things that can be accomplished at this summit that [put] in motion what is the ultimate objective for the United States, which is denuclearization that's complete and also verifiable." https://t.co/1ntxSuQyd7 @foxnewsnight pic.twitter.com/Ftnfeanvrb
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 12, 2018
1.20pm: ‘It wasn’t easy to get here’
The official transcript of the two leaders’ remarks before their bilateral meeting shows Kim Jong-un saying: “It was not easy to get here. The past worked as fetters on our limbs, and the old prejudices and practices worked as obstacles on our way forward. But we overcame all of them, and we are here today.”
Mr Trump replied: “That’s true.”
Official @WhiteHouse transcript for the remarks prior to the #SingaporeSummit bilateral meeting. pic.twitter.com/Y2UBTHNgyL
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) June 12, 2018
1.15pm: Rodman breaks down
Dennis Rodman broke down in tears while discussing his role in repairing relations between the US and North Korea minutes after the country’s leaders shook hands.
Wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat and shirt emblazoned with marijuana cryptocurrency network PotCoin.com’s logo, the former NBA player recalled on a CNN interview how he had received death threats when attempting to intervene in the decades old animosity between the two nuclear states.
1.10pm: ‘Lke a science fiction movie’
According to pool reporters analysing audio of Mr Kim and Mr Trump’s sit down before their bilateral talks, Mr Kim told the US President: “Many people in the world will think of this as a form of fantasy .. from a science fiction movie.”
President @realDonaldTrump gives North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a thumbs-up during their historic #TrumpKimSummit https://t.co/1ntxSuQyd7 pic.twitter.com/NuHQGAn390
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 12, 2018
1.00pm: Relaxed pictures reflect mood
Donald Trump’s assistant Dan Scavino has tweeted these pictures from inside the talks with Kim Jong-un. The leaders’ relaxed appearance seems to reflect the mood in the summit.
Capella Hotel | Sentosa Island#SingaporeSummit#TrumpKimSummit pic.twitter.com/ZqeSb7RQCO
— Dan Scavino Jr. (@Scavino45) June 12, 2018
12.40pm: Kim wins on diversity front
While we’rre wating for the leaders to emerge from their bilateral talks, here’s a brief look at Kim Jong-un’s team of advisers guiding him through this moment of history. Note that while Mr Trump’s team is all male, Mr Kim’s includes four women.
HISTORY. #SingaporeSummit pic.twitter.com/XF3GNzzBui
— Dan Scavino Jr. (@Scavino45) June 12, 2018
KIM YONG CHOL: Kim, 72, North Korea’s former spy chief, has been Kim Jong-un’s most trusted policy adviser since the North Korean leader began a peace offensive with the US. and South Korea in January. He accompanied the young leader at all four of his recent sumits, twice with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and twice with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Recently, Kim Jong-un sent him to the United States to hand-deliver a letter to Mr Trump, making him North Korea’s most senior official to visit its wartime foe in 18 years.
Kim Yong Chol’s rise has baffled many North Korea watchers because he is the ruling Workers’ Party official in charge of South Korea ties, not international or US relations.
But let’s not forget his past ... as intelligence chief he is believed to have been behind two attacks in 2010 that killed 50 South Koreans.
KIM YO JONG: Kim Jong-un’s younger sister is thought to be in her late 20s or early 30s. Her official post is the Workers’ Party official responsible for propaganda affairs. Many outside experts believe she has already become the No. 2 official in a country that has been ruled by the Kim family for seven decades. She reportedly travelled to Singapore separately from her brother amid media speculation that the North’s top two officials intentionally take different planes in case of an accident.
CHOE SON HUI: Deputy Foreign Minister Choe is the highest-level female diplomat in North Korea. She previously worked as an English-language interpreter for a North Korean delegation attending now-stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament talks. Last month, her threat to scuttle the summit and her description of US Vice President Mike Pence as a “political dummy” prompted Mr Trump to pull out of his meeting with Mr Kim, although he quickly reversed his decision. Some observers speculated Mr Kim would sack Ms Choe but she retained her position. On Monday, she met senior US diplomat Sung Kim at the Ritz-Carlton hotel to make final preparations for the summit.
HYON SONG WOL: Ms Hyon is head of North Korea’s hugely popular Moranbong girl band, whose members were hand-picked by Kim Jong-un. She also led a large North Korean art troupe sent to South Korea during the February Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Her earlier trip to South Korea in January triggered a media frenzy.
KIM SUNG HAE: Departmental director at North Korea’s United Front Department, the Workers’ Party organisation that handles inter-Korean relations. She also attended Monday’s meeting at the Ritz-Carlton hotel.
NO KWANG CHOL: North Korea’s minister of the People’s Armed Forces. His appointment to one of the top military jobs was officially confirmed by a state media dispatch on Monday that included him in a list of officials travelling with Mr Kim.
RI SU YONG Ri: The top Workers’ Party official for international affairs. The 78-year-old former foreign minister was North Korea’s ambassador to Switzerland when Mr studied there as a teenager.
RI YONG HO: Foreign Minister Ri and 61-year-old career diplomat who served as the chief North Korean delegate to the six-party nuclear talks.
Primrose Riordan 12.35pm: Progress won’t come in ‘one hit’
It’s clear that the Australian government remains very cautious about these negotiations over North Korea’s nuclear program in Singapore. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop this morning said the deal will only be as strong as the verification process in place to check Kim Jong-un as gotten rid of his country’s weapons.
She said while Australia believes there will be progress, it could not be achieved in “one hit” and she hopes to see “concrete steps” toward denuclearisation.
“It is hard to imagine what can come from the US-North Korea summit because we don’t know the negotiation parameters of either side.”
“The agreement will only be as good as the strength of the verification process put in place,” Ms Bishop said this morning on Sky News.
The comments came after the head of Australia’s North Asia program at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – in charge of North Korean policy – said the agency was “sceptical” of any progress from the talks.
“Frankly, we’re sceptical. But anything can happen, really. This could be a significant hinge point for the future of the peninsula,” DFAT’s Graham Fletcher told an estimates hearing.
“There seems to be, at face value, a willingness on the part of the north to talk about things that they haven’t been prepared to talk about before.”
“Unfortunately, the track record in the north doesn’t give you a lot of confidence that they mean what they say. But the leader of North Korea is only in his 30s. Maybe he’s serious. We have to test that.”
Ms Bishop said Australia hoped there would be a further substantive meeting of officials after US President Donald Trump met with Kim Jong-un.
“That’s clearly the initial outcome, that is for the first time a sitting US president is meeting with a leader of North Korea so that makes it a historic summit in any event.”
“But after the getting to know you moment hopefully there will be a moment when the officials, the advisors can also sit down and work through some concrete steps toward another meeting, I don’t think you can achieve something in one hit, I don’t think anyone expects that.”
The North Korean leader went on a tour of Singapore’s landmarks last night and snapped selfies. Ms Bishop said the act was “uncomfortable”.
“To see him walking around...Singapore is, of course, rather uncomfortable for everybody.”
The foreign minister said Australia supports the comprehensive, verifiable, irreversible denuclearisation of North Korea.
12.20pm: Investment hopes and risks
China and South Korea are gearing up to pour investments into North Korea — a prospect that presents benefits and risks for Pyongyang — should leader Kim Jong-Un strike a deal with President Donald Trump on giving up his nuclear arms, says The Wall St Journal.
With bilateral ties thawing in recent weeks, China has been expressing support for Kim’s calls to prioritise economic development and stepping up official exchanges on industrial cooperation.
Bilateral meeting with respective delegations underway now! History in the making. #SingaporeSummit pic.twitter.com/sERzLnWcsP
— Dan Scavino Jr. (@Scavino45) June 12, 2018
Some Chinese businesspeople are betting on a boost in two-way trade that has been crimped by Beijing’s enforcement of international sanctions against its neighbour.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, meanwhile, has been pushing plans to knit the two Koreas’ economies closer together as a way to foster political cooperation. They include proposals for opening air, road and rail links, and reviving inter-Korean industrial projects that could provide a boost to the North, whose moribund economy is dwarfed by the South’s.
12.10pm: ‘We’ll solve big problem’
Donald Trump has talked a bit more about his hopes for the bilateral talks with Kim Jong-un. He says he is confident the two leaders will “solve a big problem, a big dilemma.”
Mr Kim said: “We overcame all kinds of scepticism and speculations about this summit and I believe that this is good for the peace.”
Extraordinary really, given that just a few months ago the two leaders were threatening each other will nuclear missiles.
11.50am: ’An excellent relationship’
Donald Trump has said the solo talks with Kim Jong-un were “very very good,” and they have an “excellent relationship” as the two leaders emerged from their solo talks earlier than expected and walked together along their hotel balcony. Before sitting down for bilateral talks with their respective advisers,Mr Trump mentioned the nuclear issue, saying: “By working together, we will get it taken care ot.”
The private talks are reported to have lasted for 48 minutes.
WATCH: President @realDonaldTrump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walking together during historic #TrumpKimSummit https://t.co/AYECRGvzI9 pic.twitter.com/8l9AMZTUN6
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 12, 2018
It's going “very very good. Excellent relationship," says @POTUS after his one-on-one meeting with Kim Jong Un. pic.twitter.com/U9UVTmoDyx
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) June 12, 2018
11.35am: From the sublime ...
As Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un shut themselves away for what could be the most decisive talks in their joint history, Dennis Rodman has made a bizarre appearance on CNN, claiming credit for his role in this huge diplomatic moment.
Apparently Henry Kissinger was not available for analysis of a major geopolitical moment, ergo a crying @dennisrodman on @CNN. https://t.co/lSZIQGG7sc
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) June 12, 2018
11.25am: Stern expressions, with a hint of a smile
Kim Jong-un said the two leaders had overcome come many obstacles and old prejudices to be at the meeting.
He said there were “old prejudices and obstacles on our way forward, but we overcome all of them and we are here today,” Mr Kim said.
“That’s true,” Mr Trump replied.
Moments earlier the two leaders met at Singapore’s Capella hotel, shaking hands with stern expressions but with a hint of a smile.
Mr Trump briefly patted North Korea’s supreme leader on the arm and the back as the two leaders headed for their one-on-one summit meeting.
They then briefly addressed the media before heading for their 45-minute meeting with only translators present.
After that Mr Trump and Mr Kim’s advisers will join them for further discussions and a working lunch.
What does North Korea's Kim Jong-Un really want from the #TrumpKim summit? Our experts weigh in pic.twitter.com/ZHpMizHWgR
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 12, 2018
11.15am: ‘We overcame prejudices’
As Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un sat down for their meeting, the US President predicted a “terrific relationship” with Mr Kim.
After their historic handshake, the pair were filmed walking together down the hotel corridor toward the library where they will closet themselves alone for at least 45 minutes.
Mr Kim told reporters: “The past and the old prejudices and practices work as obstacles to our way forward but we overcame all of them and we are here today.”
Kim Jong-un told reporters: "The past and the old prejudices and practices work as obstacles to our way forward but we overcame all of them and we are here today." #TrumpKimSummit Live blog: https://t.co/UYipEcdfM5 pic.twitter.com/uOvNiK1RxC
— ABC News (@abcnews) June 12, 2018
11.00am: Historic handshake
The two leaders have shared a historic handshake, Mr Trump also holding Mr Kim’s upper arm. Mr Trump spoke to Mr Kim, but Mr Kim appeared to remain silent, merely smiling at his old rival.
The handshake between @POTUS and Kim Jong Un. History is made. #SingaporeSummit pic.twitter.com/HdjRy3x6wB
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) June 12, 2018
In the summit, Trump wears a badge and a red necktie. Kim wears none of the sort. pic.twitter.com/llv4jFrBSo
— NK NEWS (@nknewsorg) June 12, 2018
10.58am: So different, so alike
Donald Trump has also arrived at the hotel, looking stern as he disembarked from his car.
And @POTUS steps out of his car. #SingaporeSummit pic.twitter.com/DTbvHY3K3v
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) June 12, 2018
As we wait for the handshake it’s worth remembering that, in the struggle to understand the remarkable summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, a truism has become established - that, for all the apparent differences between the two men, they share a good deal in common.
Both, the observation goes, were born into wealth and privilege. Both are capable of ad-hominem attacks on those who displease them; both love the media spotlight.
“Thin-skinned alphas, both men are wedded to a go-it-alone leadership style, have a penchant for bombast and are determined to project dominance when they finally meet,” The Washington Post wrote.
“As President Trump prepares for his summit with Kim Jong-un, he sees some of himself in the authoritarian North Korean.”
10.55am: Kim enters hotel
Kim Jong-un has been filmed alighting from his car and entering the hotel. Mr Kim didn’t bother to smile for the cameras, nodding curtly at waiting staff and striding inside without saying anything.
And Kim Jong Un gets out of his limo at the Capella. #SingaporeSummit pic.twitter.com/qpalvIuyIA
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) June 12, 2018
10.45am: Limited access for handshake
According to the Singapore Straits Times, the Trump-Kim handshake will be witnessed by only 10 US photographers and TV cameramen, five cameramen from North Korea and five journalists from Singapore.
After their handshake, the men will walk together into the library for their solo meeting before the longer bilateral talks attended by their advisers.
Kim Jong Un has now arrived at the summit venue. Trump here first. This is the view of the location where they’ll shake hands shortly. pic.twitter.com/k9ncEojQtx
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 12, 2018
10.40am: Kudrow suffers heart attack
Just 20 minutes before his meeting with Kim Jong-un, Donald Trump has other things on his mind, taking time out to tweet that Larry Kudlow, director of the US National Economic Council, has had a heart attack. Mr Kudlow has over the last few days been highly critical of Canadian PM Justin Trudeau over the failure of the G7 talks.
Our Great Larry Kudlow, who has been working so hard on trade and the economy, has just suffered a heart attack. He is now in Walter Reed Medical Center.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2018
10.30am: Kim arrives at Capella.
Kim Jong-un’s motorcade has also arrived at the Capella Hotel. US Sewcretary of State Mike Pompeo says irreversible denuclearisation is still the main aim of the summit.
This is the room where Kim and Trump will be meeting in just 20 minutes #USDPRK pic.twitter.com/rjHnxQnZCE
— NK NEWS (@nknewsorg) June 12, 2018
10.25am: Trump arrives at Sentosa
Donald Trump has arrived at the Capella Hotel for the summit. His assistant, Dan Scavino Jr, is tweeting as they go.
.@POTUS @realDonaldTrump en route to #SingaporeSummit pic.twitter.com/gVfqohngE3
— Dan Scavino Jr. (@Scavino45) June 12, 2018
10.14am: Kim leaves for summit
Kim Jong-un has now left the Regis Hotel for the summit on Sentosa Island.
And Kim motorcade is rolling. pic.twitter.com/V2v7CnHeGD
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) June 12, 2018
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has just left his Singapore hotel and joins @realDonaldTrump on his way to Sentosa summit. #TrumpKim#TrumpKimSummit https://t.co/UZ5gjnZ47w pic.twitter.com/vQAsR5fNt3
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) June 12, 2018
Sentosa plays home to some of the world’s wealthiest people, with a marina for luxury yachts and beachfront villas that cost tens of millions of dollars. The 500-hectare island is just 500 metres from the mainland and accessed mostly by a single road, offering seclusion and privacy while making it easy to tighten security and choke off traffic for the event’s duration.
10.05am: Leaders on the move
Donald Trump’s motorcade has left the Shangri-La hotel en route for Sentosa Island. Kim Jong-un will also be on his way soon too.
The leaders are making a move. @realDonaldTrump has left his hotel in a motorcade for the #TrumpKimSummit https://t.co/XXHa56i388 #Singapore pic.twitter.com/ZNORvIHoUE
— ABC News (@abcnews) June 12, 2018
No movement yet of the Kim Jong Un motorcade from the St. Regis. pic.twitter.com/okFmCSv53s
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) June 12, 2018
9.55am: No witnesses, no notes
The first words spoken between a sitting US president and a leader of North Korea may never be known to the public, or even recorded at all, The London Times writes.
It was agreed by the two sides that no minutes would be taken. Although translators commonly scribble notes during official meetings, those at today’s unprecedented meeting were not expected to take down transcripts.
Anything written by the American translators would, in any case, be immediately declared classified material by the State Department. They are unlikely ever to be declassified, leaving the public having to rely on accounts given by Mr Trump and the North Koreans. There is little hope that Mr Trump would jot anything down and even if he did he is notoriously bad at keeping records. In the White House he has a habit of tearing up every note written after its contents have been addressed, a practice that is technically illegal.
9.45am: Thanks, Dennis
In the meantime, Dennis Rodman, who is in the unique position of claiming both Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un as friends, clearly wants us to believe he is the one who brought them together.
Thanks to my loyal sponsors from @potcoin and my team at @Prince_Mrketing , I will be flying to Singapore for the historical Summit. I'll give whatever support is needed to my friends, @realDonaldTrump and Marshall Kim Jong Un. pic.twitter.com/QGPZ8nPrBE
— Dennis Rodman (@dennisrodman) June 8, 2018
9.35am: Fox to get scoop on summit
The White House has not yet confirmed whether Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un will hold a joint press conference after their summit, as is usual with world leaders.
However Fox News says the US President is sitting down with host Sean Hannity directly after the meeting.
The interview is apparently set to air on Fox’s “Hannity” at 9 p.m. Tuesday EDT, 11am AEST which is the time set for the summit.
Fox News said Mr Trump will talk about the meeting with Mr Kim and future relations between the two countries.
9.20am: Leaders about to leave hotels
The leaders are about to leave their hotels and make their way to Sentosa Island, where the summit will take place. There is already a large media pack outside the Capella Hotel, where the leaders will meet one on one.
Security and media already heavy outside the Capella Hotel in Singapore where Trump and Kim will meet. pic.twitter.com/gemAlXcfsu
— cameron stewart (@camstewarttheoz) June 11, 2018
8.55am: How North Korea covers the talks
It’s worth noting that the North Korean state media actually covered Kim Jong-un’s journey to Singapore in a special news bulletin.
Traditionally, overseas visits by the Supreme Leader are not mentioned on state media until his return; a means to ensure the regime can portray any foreign trips as a success regardless of the truth.
But on Monday Korean Central Television (KCTV) showed pictures of Mr Kim inspecting a guard of honour at Pyongyang airport before boarding an Air China flight to Singapore. The report, read by famed newsreader Ri Chun Hee, tellingly gave Mr Trump his full name, including his middle initial and included the honorific. Mentions of the US President usually include only his surname, usually with an insult attached.
The Rodong Sinmun newspaper of the ruling Workers’ Party also devoted the first two pages to Mr Kim’s trip. On Monday, in another departure from tradition, state news agency KCNA confirmed the summit with Mr Trump, saying the two leaders would discuss “the issue of realizing the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and other issues of mutual concern, as required by the changed era.”
8.20am: ‘Kim wants to go on new path’
Kim Jong-un is meeting Donald Trump because he wants to forge a new path, Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong told the Singapore Straits Times.“I think (Mr Kim) wants to go on to a new path. What he is prepared to deal, and how the agreement can be worked out - well that is a complicated matter,” said Mr Lee, who met Mr Kim yesterday.
However the two leaders aren’t giving much time for their talks. Mr Kim will leave Singapore at 2pm local time (4pm AEST), five hours after the summit begins while Donald Trump is scheduled to depart at 7pm local time (9pm AEST).
8.10am: ‘We have our hostages’
Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump will start their meeting with a handshake for the cameras before going into their talks alone. The pair will meet one-on-one for an hour before aides to each come in for more discussions and a working lunch.
Mr Trump tweeted that the US had already achieved concessions from Pyongyang, including the release of three hostages earlier this year. “We have our hostages ... we will be fine,” he said in a tweet that included a number of mispellings.
The fact that I am having a meeting is a major loss for the U.S., say the haters & losers. We have our hostages, testing, research and all missle launches have stoped, and these pundits, who have called me wrong from the beginning, have nothing else they can say! We will be fine!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 11, 2018
7.40am: ‘We’ll know soon whether deal can happen’
Donald Trump has started tweeting ahead of the summit, saying meetings between aides are going well: “But in the end, that doesn’t matter. We will all know soon whether or not a real deal, unlike those of the past, can happen.”
Meetings between staffs and representatives are going well and quickly....but in the end, that doesn’t matter. We will all know soon whether or not a real deal, unlike those of the past, can happen!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 11, 2018
7.35am: Leaders ‘in good spirits’
Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump are both in good spirits ahead of their historic first meeting, Julie Bishop says she’s been told.
“I was in contact with (Singapore Foreign Minister) Vivian (Balakrishnan) last night and he confirmed that both leaders are very upbeat and positive about a potential breakthrough at this meeting,” Ms Bishop told Seven Network.
“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 told Sky News it’s difficult to imagine what could come out of the summit as we don’t know the negotiation parameters but we should expect some progress to be made.
.@JulieBishopMP on the US-Korea summit: There is a lot of diplomatic work that will have to be done should there be another meeting, but our expectations should be that some progress will be made.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) June 11, 2018
MORE: https://t.co/GMYjNt4EQ0 #FirstEdition pic.twitter.com/5eyJBP6USb
7.00am: Trump, Kim to meet alone
Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un will begin their meeting with a one-on-one talk, without aides and with only their translators to witness their conversation. There is some concerns about the risks involved in such a solo meeting, particularly given the volatile personalities of both leaders.
Summit preview
Kim Jong-un decided against an early night before the summit, instead deciding to visit Singapore’s tourist hot spots, posing for a selfie with Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and waving cheerfully at the crowds.
#Jalanjalan #guesswhwere? pic.twitter.com/oVOk8UuqlC
— Vivian Balakrishnan (@VivianBala) June 11, 2018
Donald Trump’s 16 months as US President have already brought a number of key foreign-policy moments, many previously undisclosed, that reveal his method of deal making.
This is a showbiz summit in Singapore with the two biggest stars in international politics, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, each pursuing an outcome that satisfies their respective senses of theatre, writes Greg Sheridan.
The high stakes summit could reshape the security environment in Asia, amid questions about whether the talks will be more substance or symbolism.
What the two sides want to achieve, what Pyongyang really wants and all the landmines that could trip them up — your complete guide to the summit.
More Coverage
‘Highway robbery’: Union move slammed as hundreds of trains cancelled
Commuters are facing worsening travel chaos as hundreds of trains have been cancelled following a bitter dispute over $4500 bonuses.
Warning of 70pc rise in energy bills in decade
Australians have endured substantial increases in their energy bills and a think tank has warned more is inevitable without policy changes.