North Korean leader Kim lands in Singapore ahead of Trump meeting
US President to meet with Kim Jong Un on Tuesday on the resort island of Sentosa, in a historic summit to discuss denuclearization of the Korean peninsula; unprecedented security measures likely to surround the summit as former basketball star Dennis Rodman arrives to show support to his 'friends.'
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un landed in Singapore on Sunday, the country's foreign minister confirmed on Twitter, ahead of a summit with US President Donald Trump that could end a nuclear stand-off between the old foes and transform his impoverished country.
"Welcomed Chairman Kim Jong Un, who has just arrived in Singapore," Vivian Balakrishnan said on Twitter.
Kim arrived in a Air China 747 that touched down at Changi Airport, according to the Straits Times.
The US delegation, en route from the G7 meeting in Canada, will arrive Sunday evening, and Trump is set to meet with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday.
Officials onboard Air Force One include Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders.
A direct flight from Pyongyang landed in Singapore on Saturday, raising speculation that a delegation of North Korean officials had joined an advance team headed by Kim's close aide, Kim Chang Son, who was in Singapore to prepare for the talks.
Security for Kim Jong Un is expected to be ultra-tight, with measures likely to surpass those seen at the April 27 inter-Korean summit, experts and analysts said.
"We'll most likely see an unprecedented scale of protection on land, sea and air as this summit is the biggest issue in the world right now," said Chae Kyou-chir, chief executive of Top Guard, a prominent South Korean security and protection firm.
In addition to protection, the North Korean delegation may fine-tune its security detail to project a particular image for Kim Jong Un, said Ahn Chan-il, a defector and current president of the World Institute for North Korea Studies.
"Kim Jong Un might bring good looking female bodyguards to embody a more approachable image," Ahn said.
At stake at the summit are North Korea's nuclear weapons and peace on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea spent decades developing nuclear weapons, culminating in the test of a thermonuclear device in 2017. It also successfully tested missiles that had enough range to reach the US mainland.
The tests came amid a campaign of "maximum pressure," led by the United States, that tightened economic sanctions against North Korea and raised the possibility of military action.
In a New Year's address, Kim said his country had completed development of its nuclear program and would focus on economic development, suggesting a meeting with South Korea.
After a flurry of contacts between the two Koreas, South Korean officials suggested to Trump in March that Kim would be willing to meet face-to-face.
The summit comes after weeks of sometimes-contentious discussions and was briefly cancelled amid North Korean outrage over messaging from some US advisers.
Many remain skeptical Kim will ever completely abandon his nuclear programs. They believe his latest engagement is aimed at getting the United States to ease crippling economic sanctions that have squeezed the impoverished country.
For Trump, a successful summit will see him achieve badly needed kudos on the international stage ahead of congressional elections in November.
Interestingly the historical event will also be attended by Kim Jong Un's longterm US friend and former basketball star Dennis Rodman.
"I'll give whatever support is needed to my friends, Donald Trump and Marshall Kim Jong Un," said Rodman in a tweet.
Enemies since the 1950-53 Korean War, the leaders of North Korea and the United States have never met previously—or even spoken on the phone.
