Ending a long wait, finally, the two world leaders and once dead-against have finally met and shook hands in Singapore’s Sentosa Island. The US President Donald Trump and North Korea president Kim Jong-un have met on Tuesday and welcomed the beginning of a “terrific relationship”, a momentous step in an improbable courtship that has opened a new era for the worlds largest nuclear power and the most reclusive one.
In a carefully choreographed encounter, Trump and Kim strode towards each other, arms extended, in the red-carpeted reception area of the grand Capella Hotel, in Singapore’s Sentosa Island.
This is the first time a sitting American President and North Korean leader have ever met. The two leaders then shared a 12-second handshake in the courtyard of the British-colonial style hotel against a backdrop of American and North Korean flags.
Posing for photographs, Trump put his hand on the younger man’s shoulder. Then the two, alone except for their interpreters, walked off to meet privately in an attempt to resolve the crisis over North Korea’s nuclear programme.
“I feel really great,” Trump said.
“It’s gonna be a great discussion and I think tremendous success. I think it’s gonna be really successful and I think we will have a terrific relationship, I have no doubt.”
Kim spoke in Korean, saying that “the old prejudices and practices worked as obstacles on our way forward, but we’ve overcome all of them, and we are here today”.
The goal of the summit was to ratify the outlines of a joint statement, to be released before the two men left Singapore later on Tuesday, that laid out a framework for additional talks.
After their one-on-one meeting which lasted for about 45 minutes, the two leaders were joined by senior aides for an expanded bilateral meeting and working lunch.
Asked how the earlier discussion went, Trump said: “Very, very good.”
On the US side, Trump’s team included Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim.
The North Korean delegation included Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, Vice-Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui and Vice-Chairman of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, Kim Yong Chol.
