US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped to accelerate a second summit between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump as he kicked off an Asian trip Saturday featuring a meeting with North Korea's leader.

Pompeo arrived in Tokyo on the first leg of a tour that will take him to Pyongyang for a fourth time as the contours of a possibly historic US-North Korea deal take shape.

Speaking on the plane on the way from the United States, Pompeo said his aim was to "develop sufficient trust" between the historic foes to inch towards peace.

"Then we are also going to set up the next summit," said Pompeo.

However, he played down expectations for a major breakthrough, saying: "I doubt we will get it nailed but begin to develop options for both location and timing for when Chairman Kim will meet with the president again."

"Maybe we will get further than that."

In June, Trump met Kim in Singapore in the first-ever summit between the countries. 
No sitting US president has visited North Korea, which according to human rights groups remains one of the most repressive countries on Earth.

Since the Singapore summit, which yielded what critics charge was a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the road towards better ties has been bumpy.

Trump scrapped a previously planned trip by his top diplomat to Pyongyang after what he said was insufficient progress towards implementing the terms of the Singapore declaration.

But the unorthodox US president has also declared himself "in love" with the strongman in Pyongyang.

Pompeo has repeatedly declined to be drawn out publicly on the shape of an eventual agreement. The United States has called for a comprehensive accord and strict enforcement of sanctions on North Korea in the meantime.

'Grand bargain'

Pompeo kicks off his trip in Tokyo, holding talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

Japan, which has seen North Korean missiles fly over its territory and been threatened with annihilation, has historically taken a hard line on Pyongyang and stressed the need to maintain pressure on the regime.

More recently, however, Abe has said the only way to improve strained ties is a face-to-face meeting with former international pariah Kim.

After Tokyo, Pompeo travels to Pyongyang and then on to South Korea, whose dovish president Moon Jae-in has served as a go-between for the two sides.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has given a hint of what a grand bargain between the two countries could look like.

In an interview with the Washington Post, she said the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. 
In exchange, the United States would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- which concluded with an armistice rather than a full-blown peace treaty -- but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities, she said.

Pompeo refused to be drawn on the outlines of a deal, saying only that his "mission is to make sure that we understand what each side is truly trying to achieve."

After Seoul, Pompeo closes his trip Monday in China, North Korea's political and economic lifeline.

The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped to accelerate a second summit between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump as he kicked off an Asian trip Saturday featuring a meeting with North Korea's leader.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped to accelerate a second summit between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump as he kicked off an Asian trip Saturday featuring a meeting with North Korea's leader. Pompeo arrived in Tokyo on the first leg of a tour that will take him to Pyongyang for a fourth time as the contours of a possibly historic US-North Korea deal take shape. Speaking on the plane on the way from the United States, Pompeo said his aim was to "develop sufficient trust" between the historic foes to inch towards peace. "Then we are also going to set up the next summit," said Pompeo. However, he played down expectations for a major breakthrough, saying: "I doubt we will get it nailed but begin to develop options for both location and timing for when Chairman Kim will meet with the president again." "Maybe we will get further than that." In June, Trump met Kim in Singapore in the first-ever summit between the countries. No sitting US president has visited North Korea, which according to human rights groups remains one of the most repressive countries on Earth. Since the Singapore summit, which yielded what critics charge was a vague commitment by Kim towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the road towards better ties has been bumpy. Trump scrapped a previously planned trip by his top diplomat to Pyongyang after what he said was insufficient progress towards implementing the terms of the Singapore declaration. But the unorthodox US president has also declared himself "in love" with the strongman in Pyongyang. Pompeo has repeatedly declined to be drawn out publicly on the shape of an eventual agreement. The United States has called for a comprehensive accord and strict enforcement of sanctions on North Korea in the meantime. 'Grand bargain' Pompeo kicks off his trip in Tokyo, holding talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Kono. Japan, which has seen North Korean missiles fly over its territory and been threatened with annihilation, has historically taken a hard line on Pyongyang and stressed the need to maintain pressure on the regime. More recently, however, Abe has said the only way to improve strained ties is a face-to-face meeting with former international pariah Kim. After Tokyo, Pompeo travels to Pyongyang and then on to South Korea, whose dovish president Moon Jae-in has served as a go-between for the two sides. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has given a hint of what a grand bargain between the two countries could look like. In an interview with the Washington Post, she said the North could agree to dismantle Yongbyon, its signature nuclear site. In exchange, the United States would declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War -- which concluded with an armistice rather than a full-blown peace treaty -- but North Korea would stop short of delivering an exhaustive list of its nuclear facilities, she said. Pompeo refused to be drawn on the outlines of a deal, saying only that his "mission is to make sure that we understand what each side is truly trying to achieve." After Seoul, Pompeo closes his trip Monday in China, North Korea's political and economic lifeline. The Beijing stop could be tense as it comes days after Vice President Mike Pence delivered a blistering speech accusing China of military aggression, commercial theft, rising human rights violations and electoral intervention against Trump.

Pompeo eyes progress over Trump-Kim summit on Asia trip

The world is talking of this Summit as a historic moment with hopes that it will bring peace to Korean Peninsula. Reading between the lines, beyond the niceties and magnificent optics displayed, some realities do emerge, which will indicate that it is beginning of a great gamble by both sides. This issue had crossed the limit of being a bilateral one and it impacts other stakeholders as well, hence this may not be the last call on peace of Korean Peninsula. In real terms North Korea continues to be saddled with continued economic sanctions and US continues to be suspicious of implementation of the complete, irreversible, verifiable denuclearisation, hence will lift sanctions only 'when nukes are no longer an issue'. Both leaders can pat their back as the US has made Kim sign the document on denuclearisation in a manner it suits them, and Kim has been able to get the offensive military exercises/war games off his mind at least for some time, having bought time for the next step.

A happy ending Summit: Was there any other option?

The US and North Korea have called the Summit a historic success, but it was also a compulsion in light of lack of alternatives. It was the only practical option because a failed summit was not suiting either side. At the face value all world leaders have expressed happiness over the Summit and have hoped for a peaceful Korean Peninsula, but it needs to be analysed whether their concerns have been met or otherwise.

-US will continue to be apprehensive till it is verified that N Korea is no more capable to nuke its mainland. The US may have taken off the continuation of military exercises, but it is yet to be clarified if it is going to take off THAAD, which was a concern of China and Russia also.

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<h5>Kim can claim accolade over making President Trump talk to him through nuclear blackmail</h5>
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-North Korea having signed the document, will be forced to think that with economic sanctions being in place, was it a big gamble to give away its only strategic leverage? As an analyst, it looks too good to be true. It, however, remains to be seen that will China allow Kim to be stripped of all nukes. Kim can claim accolade over making President Trump talk to him through nuclear blackmail. This will enhance his credibility in his country as well as in the global arena.

-China highlighting its influence did talk of its efforts in getting both leaders together, but in a subtle message has indirectly shown concern about reasonable security and safety of North Korea. Kim had consulted President

Xi Jinping twice before the Summit, but it is not sure that the document signed is as per the narrative of President Xi or a variation of the same. China will also be concerned about THAAD and continued sanctions, leaving an ambiguity to send their trade items and essentialities to North Korea or otherwise.

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<h5>South Korea will be happy as its efforts to get the two leaders across the table have finally borne fruits, and there is a move forward</h5>
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-Japan will continue to be skeptical of North Korea, because even if North Korea does denuclearize, the missile threat will continue to loom over its territory, notwithstanding a remark by President Trump that Kim has agreed to destroy a missile site.

-South Korea will be happy as its efforts to get the two leaders across the table have finally borne fruits, and there is a move forward. They would genuinely look for peace, as Seoul is within reach of conventional weapons of North Korea.

-Russian may have to wait for clarifications on THAAD deployment, a concern they have been airing earlier.

-India will welcome a peaceful Korean Peninsula but would be keen on some control on North Korea on an alleged proliferation of missile technology to Pakistan.

It remains to be seen as to what the future has for Korean Peninsula, but it was interesting to see the diplomatic negotiations at its best in the run-up for the Summit. It was a commendable diplomatic breakthrough after decades of hostility, but there is still no guarantee that North Korea would follow it up. Equally interesting were the two unpredictable leaders conducting themselves with grace and maturity in a well-choreographed event. It will also be interesting to see that in case of leakages in sanctions by any third country, how will the US respond after display of such niceties? The final test will be the response of North Korea to the international inspectors of nukes.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

It remains to be seen as to what the future has for Korean Peninsula, but it was interesting to see the diplomatic negotiations at its best in the run-up for the Summit

The world is talking of this Summit as a historic moment with hopes that it will bring peace to Korean Peninsula. Reading between the lines, beyond the niceties and magnificent optics displayed, some realities do emerge, which will indicate that it is beginning of a great gamble by both sides. This issue had crossed the limit of being a bilateral one and it impacts other stakeholders as well, hence this may not be the last call on peace of Korean Peninsula. In real terms North Korea continues to be saddled with continued economic sanctions and US continues to be suspicious of implementation of the complete, irreversible, verifiable denuclearisation, hence will lift sanctions only 'when nukes are no longer an issue'. Both leaders can pat their back as the US has made Kim sign the document on denuclearisation in a manner it suits them, and Kim has been able to get the offensive military exercises/war games off his mind at least for some time, having bought time for the next step. A happy ending Summit: Was there any other option? The US and North Korea have called the Summit a historic success, but it was also a compulsion in light of lack of alternatives. It was the only practical option because a failed summit was not suiting either side. At the face value all world leaders have expressed happiness over the Summit and have hoped for a peaceful Korean Peninsula, but it needs to be analysed whether their concerns have been met or otherwise. -US will continue to be apprehensive till it is verified that N Korea is no more capable to nuke its mainland. The US may have taken off the continuation of military exercises, but it is yet to be clarified if it is going to take off THAAD, which was a concern of China and Russia also. Kim can claim accolade over making President Trump talk to him through nuclear blackmail × -North Korea having signed the document, will be forced to think that with economic sanctions being in place, was it a big gamble to give away its only strategic leverage? As an analyst, it looks too good to be true. It, however, remains to be seen that will China allow Kim to be stripped of all nukes. Kim can claim accolade over making President Trump talk to him through nuclear blackmail. This will enhance his credibility in his country as well as in the global arena. -China highlighting its influence did talk of its efforts in getting both leaders together, but in a subtle message has indirectly shown concern about reasonable security and safety of North Korea. Kim had consulted President Xi Jinping twice before the Summit, but it is not sure that the document signed is as per the narrative of President Xi or a variation of the same. China will also be concerned about THAAD and continued sanctions, leaving an ambiguity to send their trade items and essentialities to North Korea or otherwise. South Korea will be happy as its efforts to get the two leaders across the table have finally borne fruits, and there is a move forward × -Japan will continue to be skeptical of North Korea, because even if North Korea does denuclearize, the missile threat will continue to loom over its territory, notwithstanding a remark by President Trump that Kim has agreed to destroy a missile site. -South Korea will be happy as its efforts to get the two leaders across the table have finally borne fruits, and there is a move forward. They would genuinely look for peace, as Seoul is within reach of conventional weapons of North Korea. -Russian may have to wait for clarifications on THAAD deployment, a concern they have been airing earlier. -India will welcome a peaceful Korean Peninsula but would be keen on some control on North Korea on an alleged proliferation of missile technology to Pakistan. It remains to be seen as to what the future has for Korean Peninsula, but it was interesting to see the diplomatic negotiations at its best in the run-up for the Summit. It was a commendable diplomatic breakthrough after decades of hostility, but there is still no guarantee that North Korea would follow it up. Equally interesting were the two unpredictable leaders conducting themselves with grace and maturity in a well-choreographed event. It will also be interesting to see that in case of leakages in sanctions by any third country, how will the US respond after display of such niceties? The final test will be the response of North Korea to the international inspectors of nukes. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Trump-Kim Summit was a gamble beyond optics

After the historic summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, President Vladimir Putin has invited North Korea leader to visit Russia.

He conveyed the invitation to Kim Jong Un through a senior North Korean official.

His invitation was followed after he praised the results of his summit with Donald Trump.

While hosting North Korea's ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong Nam,&nbspPutin said the historic summit with the US president was "without doubt just the first step towards a full-blown settlement".

He further said, "Thanks to this meeting a possible negative scenario has been cast aside. Certainly it creates conditions for further forward movement and decreases general tensions around the Korean peninsula".

The historic summit between Kim and Trump was held on Tuesday in Singapore.

The&nbspunprecedented encounter saw the leader of the world's most powerful democracy shake hands with the third-generation scion of a dynastic dictatorship.&nbsp

Putin said he would be happy to welcome Kim to Russia, suggesting they meet during an economic forum in the far eastern port city of Vladivostok this September.

The youthful North Korean leader has never visited Russia. His father, however,&nbspKim Jong-Il, travelled to the country in his armoured train in 2011 for talks with Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's president at the time.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is the first ever Russian official to meet Kim when he travelled to Pyongyang in late May.

The two countries share a short land border and have a history of long-standing ties.

&nbsp

(With inputs from AFP)

While hosting North Korea's ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong Nam, Putin said the historic summit with the US president was 'without doubt just the first step towards a full-blown settlement'

After the historic summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, President Vladimir Putin has invited North Korea leader to visit Russia. He conveyed the invitation to Kim Jong Un through a senior North Korean official. His invitation was followed after he praised the results of his summit with Donald Trump. While hosting North Korea's ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong Nam,&nbspPutin said the historic summit with the US president was "without doubt just the first step towards a full-blown settlement". He further said, "Thanks to this meeting a possible negative scenario has been cast aside. Certainly it creates conditions for further forward movement and decreases general tensions around the Korean peninsula". The historic summit between Kim and Trump was held on Tuesday in Singapore. The&nbspunprecedented encounter saw the leader of the world's most powerful democracy shake hands with the third-generation scion of a dynastic dictatorship. Putin said he would be happy to welcome Kim to Russia, suggesting they meet during an economic forum in the far eastern port city of Vladivostok this September. The youthful North Korean leader has never visited Russia. His father, however,&nbspKim Jong-Il, travelled to the country in his armoured train in 2011 for talks with Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's president at the time. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is the first ever Russian official to meet Kim when he travelled to Pyongyang in late May. The two countries share a short land border and have a history of long-standing ties. (With inputs from AFP)

Putin invites Kim to Russia, praises Trump summit

Kim Jong Un invited Donald Trump to visit North Korea during their historic summit and the US President accepted, Pyongyang state media reported today, calling it the start of a "radical switchover" in the nuclear-armed Cold War foes' fraught relations.

The unprecedented encounter in Singapore yesterday saw the leader of the world's most powerful democracy shake hands with the third generation scion of a dynastic dictatorship, standing as equals in front of their nations' flags.

Kim agreed to the "complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula", a stock phrase favoured by Pyongyang that stopped short of long-standing US demands for North Korea to give up its atomic arsenal in a "verifiable" and "irreversible" way.

In its first report on the landmark summit, the official KCNA news agency ran a glowing dispatch on the talks, describing them as an "epoch-making meeting" that would help foster "a radical switchover in the most hostile (North Korea)-US relations".

The report said the two men each asked the other to visit their country.

"The two top leaders gladly accepted each other's invitation," KCNA said.

Pyongyang has reason to feel confident after the meeting which was a major coup for an isolated and heavily sanctioned regime that has long craved international legitimacy.

In a blockbusting press conference after the summit, Trump said the US would halt military exercises with Seoul -- something long sought by Pyongyang, which claims the drills are a rehearsal for invasion.

The US stations around 30,000 troops in security ally South Korea to protect it from its neighbour, which invaded in 1950 in an attempt to reunify the peninsula by force.

"We will be stopping the war games which will save us a tremendous amount of money," Trump told reporters, adding that "at some point" he wanted to withdraw US troops from the South.

Both Seoul and US military commanders in the South indicated they had no idea the announcement was coming, and analysts expressed immediate concern.

Ending the drills "is in excess of all expert consensus, South Korean requests, and even a close reading of North Korean demands", said Adam Mount of the Federation of American Scientists.

The KCNA report said Trump committed to ending the drills during his meeting with Kim.

It added that denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula would be dependent on the two sides "refraining from antagonising... Each other out of mutual understanding".

The Singapore summit was a potentially legacy-defining meeting for both men -- comparable to president Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China, or Ronald Reagan's 1986 summit with Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik.

World powers from China to Japan, the European Union and Russia welcomed its outcome -- while cautioning it was only the first step towards resolving the nuclear stand-off with Pyongyang.

Many agreements have been made in the past with North Korea that have later fallen apart, and ahead of the meeting, critics expressed concerns that it risked being more about headlines than substantive progress.

It also legitimised Kim, critics charged, feting a regime which stands accused of widespread human rights abuses. In the event, the two leaders showered each other with compliments in the sumptuous setting of a luxury Singapore hotel, a marked contrast from their previous rounds of mutual insults, such as "mentally deranged" and "little rocket man". Trump said he had formed a "special bond" with Kim, whom he described as "very talented".

KCNA said the two leaders ate and walked together, "deepening friendly feelings" towards each other.&nbsp

The unprecedented encounter in Singapore yesterday saw the leader of the world's most powerful democracy shake hands with the third generation scion of a dynastic dictatorship, standing as equals in front of their nations' flags

Kim Jong Un invited Donald Trump to visit North Korea during their historic summit and the US President accepted, Pyongyang state media reported today, calling it the start of a "radical switchover" in the nuclear-armed Cold War foes' fraught relations. The unprecedented encounter in Singapore yesterday saw the leader of the world's most powerful democracy shake hands with the third generation scion of a dynastic dictatorship, standing as equals in front of their nations' flags. Kim agreed to the "complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula", a stock phrase favoured by Pyongyang that stopped short of long-standing US demands for North Korea to give up its atomic arsenal in a "verifiable" and "irreversible" way. In its first report on the landmark summit, the official KCNA news agency ran a glowing dispatch on the talks, describing them as an "epoch-making meeting" that would help foster "a radical switchover in the most hostile (North Korea)-US relations". The report said the two men each asked the other to visit their country. "The two top leaders gladly accepted each other's invitation," KCNA said. Pyongyang has reason to feel confident after the meeting which was a major coup for an isolated and heavily sanctioned regime that has long craved international legitimacy. In a blockbusting press conference after the summit, Trump said the US would halt military exercises with Seoul -- something long sought by Pyongyang, which claims the drills are a rehearsal for invasion. The US stations around 30,000 troops in security ally South Korea to protect it from its neighbour, which invaded in 1950 in an attempt to reunify the peninsula by force. "We will be stopping the war games which will save us a tremendous amount of money," Trump told reporters, adding that "at some point" he wanted to withdraw US troops from the South. Both Seoul and US military commanders in the South indicated they had no idea the announcement was coming, and analysts expressed immediate concern. Ending the drills "is in excess of all expert consensus, South Korean requests, and even a close reading of North Korean demands", said Adam Mount of the Federation of American Scientists. The KCNA report said Trump committed to ending the drills during his meeting with Kim. It added that denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula would be dependent on the two sides "refraining from antagonising... Each other out of mutual understanding". The Singapore summit was a potentially legacy-defining meeting for both men -- comparable to president Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China, or Ronald Reagan's 1986 summit with Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik. World powers from China to Japan, the European Union and Russia welcomed its outcome -- while cautioning it was only the first step towards resolving the nuclear stand-off with Pyongyang. Many agreements have been made in the past with North Korea that have later fallen apart, and ahead of the meeting, critics expressed concerns that it risked being more about headlines than substantive progress. It also legitimised Kim, critics charged, feting a regime which stands accused of widespread human rights abuses. In the event, the two leaders showered each other with compliments in the sumptuous setting of a luxury Singapore hotel, a marked contrast from their previous rounds of mutual insults, such as "mentally deranged" and "little rocket man". Trump said he had formed a "special bond" with Kim, whom he described as "very talented". KCNA said the two leaders ate and walked together, "deepening friendly feelings" towards each other.

Kim invites Trump to visit Pyongyang as North hails 'radical switchover'

Much attention has been&nbspon Kim Jong Un at his historic summit Tuesday with President Donald Trump. The young leader was also accompanied by a group of trusted and loyal lieutenants to Singapore with at least four high-powered women including his sister.&nbsp

Kim's entourage includes Kim Jong Chol, 72, who is the North Korean leaders most trusted policy advisor and his "right-hand man" since the beginning of a peace offensive with the US and South Korea in January.&nbsp

He accompanied the young leader at all four of his recent summits, 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 Trump, making him North Korea’s most senior official to visit its wartime foe in 18 years.

Kim's younger sister Kim Yo Jung also accompanied the leader. She 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 acts as her older brother’s assistant at times, having hand-delivered a letter from him to South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

She reportedly traveled 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.

Kim's vice foreign minister Choe Son Hui, who was also present at the meeting, 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.

She has reportedly acted as a lead negotiator in advance meetings with the American team ahead of the summit, possibly because of her experience as a nuclear negotiator in the past.

Last month, her threat to scuttle the summit and description of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence as a “political dummy” prompted Trump to pull out of his meeting with Kim, although he quickly reversed his decision.&nbsp

Also present at the historic summit was Ri Su Yong, 78, is the top Workers’ Party official for international affairs. The former foreign minister was North Korea’s ambassador to Switzerland when Kim Jong Un studied there as a teenager.

Kim also had Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, 61, by his side. He is a career diplomat who served as the chief North Korean delegate to the six-party nuclear talks.

Hyon Song Wol also accompanied the leader at the Singapore summit. He 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.

Also present today was Kim Sung Hae who is a departmental director at North Korea’s United Front Department, the Workers’ Party organization that handles inter-Korean relations. She also attended Monday’s meeting at the Ritz-Carlton hotel.

No Kwang Chol, who accompanied the leader, is 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 traveling with Kim. 
&nbsp

The young leader was also accompanied by a group of trusted and loyal lieutenants to Singapore with at least four high-powered women including his sister

Much attention has been&nbspon Kim Jong Un at his historic summit Tuesday with President Donald Trump. The young leader was also accompanied by a group of trusted and loyal lieutenants to Singapore with at least four high-powered women including his sister. Kim's entourage includes Kim Jong Chol, 72, who is the North Korean leaders most trusted policy advisor and his "right-hand man" since the beginning of a peace offensive with the US and South Korea in January. He accompanied the young leader at all four of his recent summits, 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 Trump, making him North Korea’s most senior official to visit its wartime foe in 18 years. Kim's younger sister Kim Yo Jung also accompanied the leader. She 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 acts as her older brother’s assistant at times, having hand-delivered a letter from him to South Korean President Moon Jae-in. She reportedly traveled 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. Kim's vice foreign minister Choe Son Hui, who was also present at the meeting, 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. She has reportedly acted as a lead negotiator in advance meetings with the American team ahead of the summit, possibly because of her experience as a nuclear negotiator in the past. Last month, her threat to scuttle the summit and description of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence as a “political dummy” prompted Trump to pull out of his meeting with Kim, although he quickly reversed his decision. Also present at the historic summit was Ri Su Yong, 78, is the top Workers’ Party official for international affairs. The former foreign minister was North Korea’s ambassador to Switzerland when Kim Jong Un studied there as a teenager. Kim also had Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, 61, by his side. He is a career diplomat who served as the chief North Korean delegate to the six-party nuclear talks. Hyon Song Wol also accompanied the leader at the Singapore summit. He 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. Also present today was Kim Sung Hae who is a departmental director at North Korea’s United Front Department, the Workers’ Party organization that handles inter-Korean relations. She also attended Monday’s meeting at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. No Kwang Chol, who accompanied the leader, is 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 traveling with Kim.

Kim Jong-Un was accompanied by trusted lieutenants to Singapore

As US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un potential denuclearisation, this is what the leaders, as well as the media and journalists, will be eating during the historic summit in Singapore.&nbsp

Lavish and luxurious menu for Kim and Trump will include dishes from the country as well as dishes combines the flavors of East and West.&nbsp&nbsp

Starters 
1. Traditional prawn cocktail with avocado salad&nbsp 
2. Green mango kerabu with honey lime dressing and fresh octopus&nbsp 
3. "Oiseon" which is a Korean stuffed cucumber&nbsp

Main Course 
1. Beef short rib confit, with potato dauphinois and steam broccolini with red wine sauce on the side 
2. Combination of sweet and sour crispy pork and Yangzhou fried rice with homemade XO chili sauce&nbsp 
3. "Daegu jorim" which is a soy braised cod fish with radish and Asian vegetables&nbsp

Desserts 
1. Dark chocolate tartlet ganache&nbsp 
2. Haagen-Dazs vanilla iced cream with cherry coulis&nbsp 
3. Tropezienne&nbsp

Meanwhile, popular Indian dishes including other varieties will be served to nearly 3,000 journalists from across the world who are here to cover the historic summit with a menu that will offer 45 dishes across 15 cuisines to suit all palates, the Strait Times reported.

On offer will be Indian, Singaporean, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, French, American, Italian, English, Australian, Brazilian and Middle Eastern food.

Indian dishes like Pulao, Fish Curry, Chicken Curry and Papad will be served at the F1 Pit Building - the official media centre for the summit - in downtown Singapore.

There are quintessential Singaporean dishes, such as laksa and chicken rice which will be served hot at manned stations. Several caterers have been roped in to help feed the journalists meals from breakfast to lunch, tea to dinner, the report said. &nbsp&nbsp

About 25 chefs per shift - there will be two shifts per day except on Wednesday - will be stationed at the media centre, the firm said.

Also, from “El Trumpo” and “Rocket Man” tacos to the “Bromance” cocktail, restaurants and bars in food-crazy Singapore are rolling out weird and wonderful creations to mark the approaching US-North Korea summit.

Lavish and luxurious menu for Kim and Trump will include dishes from the country as well as dishes combines the flavours of East and West

As US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un potential denuclearisation, this is what the leaders, as well as the media and journalists, will be eating during the historic summit in Singapore. Lavish and luxurious menu for Kim and Trump will include dishes from the country as well as dishes combines the flavors of East and West. Starters 1. Traditional prawn cocktail with avocado salad 2. Green mango kerabu with honey lime dressing and fresh octopus 3. "Oiseon" which is a Korean stuffed cucumber Main Course 1. Beef short rib confit, with potato dauphinois and steam broccolini with red wine sauce on the side 2. Combination of sweet and sour crispy pork and Yangzhou fried rice with homemade XO chili sauce 3. "Daegu jorim" which is a soy braised cod fish with radish and Asian vegetables Desserts 1. Dark chocolate tartlet ganache 2. Haagen-Dazs vanilla iced cream with cherry coulis 3. Tropezienne Meanwhile, popular Indian dishes including other varieties will be served to nearly 3,000 journalists from across the world who are here to cover the historic summit with a menu that will offer 45 dishes across 15 cuisines to suit all palates, the Strait Times reported. On offer will be Indian, Singaporean, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, French, American, Italian, English, Australian, Brazilian and Middle Eastern food. Indian dishes like Pulao, Fish Curry, Chicken Curry and Papad will be served at the F1 Pit Building - the official media centre for the summit - in downtown Singapore. There are quintessential Singaporean dishes, such as laksa and chicken rice which will be served hot at manned stations. Several caterers have been roped in to help feed the journalists meals from breakfast to lunch, tea to dinner, the report said. About 25 chefs per shift - there will be two shifts per day except on Wednesday - will be stationed at the media centre, the firm said. Also, from “El Trumpo” and “Rocket Man” tacos to the “Bromance” cocktail, restaurants and bars in food-crazy Singapore are rolling out weird and wonderful creations to mark the approaching US-North Korea summit.

This is what Kim Jong-Un and Donald Trump ate at the Singapore summit

The meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on Tuesday has kicked off a potentially lengthy diplomatic process to try to resolve the standoff over Pyongyang’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. A look at how diplomacy took shape this year:

Jan. 1: After an unusually provocative 2017 during which North Korea tested a purported thermonuclear warhead and three intercontinental ballistic missiles, Kim tries to initiate diplomacy in his annual New Year’s address. He calls for improved relations and engagement with South Korea, though adds that he has a nuclear button on his desk. Trump responds on Twitter that he has a bigger and more powerful nuclear button, adding “and my Button works!”

Jan. 9: North and South Korean officials meet at a border village and agree on North Korea sending athletes and delegates to the Winter Olympics in the South. Hundreds of North Koreans go to the Pyeongchang Games in February, including Kim’s sister, who conveys her brother’s desire for an inter-Korean summit with South Korea’s president.

March 5-6: South Korea’s presidential national security director Chung Eui-yong visits Kim in Pyongyang and reports that Kim is willing to discuss the fate of his nuclear arsenal with the United States.

March 8: South Korean envoys meet Trump in Washington and deliver an invitation from Kim to meet Trump accepts.

March 27: Kim makes a surprise visit to Beijing for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in an apparent move to strengthen his leverage ahead of any talks with Trump.

April 18: Trump confirms that Mike Pompeo, then the CIA chief, had met Kim secretly in North Korea and said “a good relationship was formed” heading into the anticipated summit.

April 21: North Korea says it has suspended nuclear and ICBM tests and plans to close its nuclear test site as part of a shift in its national focus to developing its economy. Trump tweets: “This is very good news for North Korea and the World.”

April 27: Kim holds a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The leaders announce aspirational goals of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and permanent peace.

May 7: Kim meets Xi again in China and calls for stronger strategic cooperation between the traditional allies.

May 9: Pompeo, now U.S. secretary of state, makes another visit to Pyongyang to prepare for the planned Trump-Kim summit. North Korea releases three Americans who had been imprisoned.

May 10: Trump announces he will meet with Kim in Singapore on June 12. He tweets: “We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace!”

May 12: North Korea says it will hold a ceremony to dismantle its nuclear test site between May 23-25.

May 16: North Korea abruptly cancels a high-level meeting with the South and threatens to cancel the summit with Trump too in protest over U.S.-South Korean military exercises and U.S. comments that the North should follow the “Libya model” of denuclearization by eliminating everything upfront. The North says it won’t be unilaterally pressured into abandoning its nukes.

May 22: Trump and Moon meet at the White House to discuss the Trump-Kim talks. The South Korean president says the “fate and the future of the Korean Peninsula hinge” on the meeting in Singapore.

May 24: A senior North Korean diplomat calls U.S. Vice President Mike Pence a “political dummy” for his comments on the North and says it is up to the Americans whether they “meet us at a meeting room or encounter us at (a) nuclear-to-nuclear showdown.” North Korea dismantles its nuclear testing ground in front of foreign journalists, but Trump announces hours later that he’s pulling out of the summit, citing the North’s “tremendous anger and open hostility.”

May 25: North Korea attempts damage control, saying it is still willing to hold talks with the United States “at any time, (in) any format.” Moon calls Trump’s move to cancel the summit “very perplexing” and says Washington and Pyongyang should get the talks back on track.

May 26: Kim and Moon meet at a border village in an effort to revive the summit with Trump. Moon says Kim reaffirmed his commitment to denuclearize their peninsula but also said he was unsure whether he could trust the United States to provide a credible security guarantee in return.

May 30: North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol, the most senior North Korean official to visit the United States in 18 years, arrives in New York for pre-summit negotiations with Pompeo.

June 1: After meeting Kim Yong Chol at the White House, Trump says his meeting with Kim Jong Un is back on for June 12.

June 5: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweets the Trump-Kim meeting will be held at Singapore’s Capella Hotel.

June 12:&nbsp;US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a “comprehensive” document following a historic summit aimed at the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

A look at how diplomacy took shape this year:

The meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on Tuesday has kicked off a potentially lengthy diplomatic process to try to resolve the standoff over Pyongyang’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. A look at how diplomacy took shape this year: Jan. 1: After an unusually provocative 2017 during which North Korea tested a purported thermonuclear warhead and three intercontinental ballistic missiles, Kim tries to initiate diplomacy in his annual New Year’s address. He calls for improved relations and engagement with South Korea, though adds that he has a nuclear button on his desk. Trump responds on Twitter that he has a bigger and more powerful nuclear button, adding “and my Button works!” Jan. 9: North and South Korean officials meet at a border village and agree on North Korea sending athletes and delegates to the Winter Olympics in the South. Hundreds of North Koreans go to the Pyeongchang Games in February, including Kim’s sister, who conveys her brother’s desire for an inter-Korean summit with South Korea’s president. March 5-6: South Korea’s presidential national security director Chung Eui-yong visits Kim in Pyongyang and reports that Kim is willing to discuss the fate of his nuclear arsenal with the United States. March 8: South Korean envoys meet Trump in Washington and deliver an invitation from Kim to meet Trump accepts. March 27: Kim makes a surprise visit to Beijing for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in an apparent move to strengthen his leverage ahead of any talks with Trump. April 18: Trump confirms that Mike Pompeo, then the CIA chief, had met Kim secretly in North Korea and said “a good relationship was formed” heading into the anticipated summit. April 21: North Korea says it has suspended nuclear and ICBM tests and plans to close its nuclear test site as part of a shift in its national focus to developing its economy. Trump tweets: “This is very good news for North Korea and the World.” April 27: Kim holds a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The leaders announce aspirational goals of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and permanent peace. May 7: Kim meets Xi again in China and calls for stronger strategic cooperation between the traditional allies. May 9: Pompeo, now U.S. secretary of state, makes another visit to Pyongyang to prepare for the planned Trump-Kim summit. North Korea releases three Americans who had been imprisoned. May 10: Trump announces he will meet with Kim in Singapore on June 12. He tweets: “We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace!” May 12: North Korea says it will hold a ceremony to dismantle its nuclear test site between May 23-25. May 16: North Korea abruptly cancels a high-level meeting with the South and threatens to cancel the summit with Trump too in protest over U.S.-South Korean military exercises and U.S. comments that the North should follow the “Libya model” of denuclearization by eliminating everything upfront. The North says it won’t be unilaterally pressured into abandoning its nukes. May 22: Trump and Moon meet at the White House to discuss the Trump-Kim talks. The South Korean president says the “fate and the future of the Korean Peninsula hinge” on the meeting in Singapore. May 24: A senior North Korean diplomat calls U.S. Vice President Mike Pence a “political dummy” for his comments on the North and says it is up to the Americans whether they “meet us at a meeting room or encounter us at (a) nuclear-to-nuclear showdown.” North Korea dismantles its nuclear testing ground in front of foreign journalists, but Trump announces hours later that he’s pulling out of the summit, citing the North’s “tremendous anger and open hostility.” May 25: North Korea attempts damage control, saying it is still willing to hold talks with the United States “at any time, (in) any format.” Moon calls Trump’s move to cancel the summit “very perplexing” and says Washington and Pyongyang should get the talks back on track. May 26: Kim and Moon meet at a border village in an effort to revive the summit with Trump. Moon says Kim reaffirmed his commitment to denuclearize their peninsula but also said he was unsure whether he could trust the United States to provide a credible security guarantee in return. May 30: North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol, the most senior North Korean official to visit the United States in 18 years, arrives in New York for pre-summit negotiations with Pompeo. June 1: After meeting Kim Yong Chol at the White House, Trump says his meeting with Kim Jong Un is back on for June 12. June 5: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweets the Trump-Kim meeting will be held at Singapore’s Capella Hotel. June 12: US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a “comprehensive” document following a historic summit aimed at the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Timeline: How the Trump-Kim summit came together

By:&nbspLynn T. White III*

At President Donald Trump's summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore, Kim may promise complete denuclearisation, but Trump should know this goal won't be achieved without progress toward Korean unification and increased contact between South and North Korea.

As a scholar of comparative politics and East Asian studies, I believe that two recent developments – not just one – demand new U.S. policy. So far, the world's attention has been on the first development: the fact that North Korea has nuclear weapons. Less attention has been paid to the second one: recent displays of pan-Korean patriotism.

Let me explain why this second development deserves more scrutiny.

Moving toward one Korea

Most South Koreans, remembering past Northern violence, welcomed April 27, 2018, "Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity, and Unification of the Korean Peninsula." Signing it with Kim, President Moon Jae-in articulated the South’s interests – and raised his domestic popularity – while restraining the U.S. from an attack on the North.

Moon did this once before. On August 17, 2017, he announced a U.S. agreement not to take military action against the North without the South’s prior consent. Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed that policy on the same day.

This lessens the chance of conflict. But it also creates a danger for the U.S. If war erupts, Kim might now prefer to hit Americans at bases in Japan, rather than fellow Koreans.

Conventional weapons still a hazard

While these early moves toward stronger relations between the Koreas are a positive sign, the threat of the North's conventional artillery against Seoul remains. Protecting Seoul is a key requirement for South Korea's alliance with the United States.

Seoul has importance even for the North because it is the traditional capital of the whole peninsula. The Joseon dynasty ruled there for half a millennium. Until 1972, the North Korean constitution held that Seoul rather than Pyongyang was legally the capital of all Korea.

So the South has "Korea’s Berlin." Additionally, two-thirds of all Koreans live here and the South’s economy is 35 times larger than the North’s. Its air force and navy are stronger. From K-pop to electronics, the South has remarkable "soft power" too, while the North is addicted to the hard stuff. Pyongyang has multiple weapons of mass destruction.

And while the threat of combat exists, any action is unlikely. The costs of war, as distinct from rhetoric, are prohibitive. The South would suffer, as would the North if the U.S. attacked Kim’s nuclear facilities. He might retaliate by using his artillery against Seoul. National security adviser John Bolton and others in Washington neglect our Korean ally's interests when they focus solely on eliminating North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic capacity.

President Moon, like leaders in Washington, Beijing and Tokyo, would prefer that Pyongyang implement "complete, verifiable, irreversible" denuclearisation.

But Kim believes that Korea's history of division by foreign powers gives him a right not to follow the usual rules.&nbspThis is more important to him than keeping promises. The fact is that Pyongyang has sporadically in past years committed to denuclearisation. It formally withdrew from the Nonproliferation Treaty only in 2003. The Kim dynasty, in other words, did not follow through on its commitment to shed nuclear weapons.

Total, verifiable, irreversible denuclearisation is likely “a bridge too far” in the current context – Kim will not agree to it. In any case, complete verification depends on seeking violations, which is difficult in a dictatorial police state.

Complete denuclearisation will be a matter for the future. Demanding it now will not lead to peace on the peninsula or internationally. It is Korean politics, not just Washington politics, that will affect what happens in both the short and long term. Few guess that Kim will fully surrender his only serious power, no matter what he says.

First, more South-North contacts

Kim cannot restrict the appeal to the North of the South’s lifestyle and prosperity forever. South-North contacts will slowly weaken Kim. His unreliability, the factor that makes him dangerous to the U.S., will be tempered as these contacts with South Korea strengthen. He, together with Moon, has let the genie of patriotism out of the bottle, and I don’t think he’ll be able to put it back.

Others have argued that a united Korea is a bigger threat to the U.S., but as I see it, progress toward Korean reunification would reduce the threat to America. A unified Korea would be safer for the U.S. than Pyongyang now is as an isolated nuclear power.

Northern elites cannot maintain their patriotic pretenses without talking about reunification, even though some there, as in the South, do not want it any time soon. Regime change will eventually come to the North. South Koreans know that more contacts with the North can raise their taxes, even as peace raises their security and reunites divided families.

Trump might willingly be persuaded to accept Kim’s claims about denuclearisation, for the sake of advertising the best "deal" he can get. This would likely only slow Pyongyang's program – not end it anytime soon. Negotiations would take multiple meetings, not just one "summit." A period of South-North links should follow, according to protocols the Panmunjom Declaration has established.

Trump may sooner or later turn down a "denuclearisation-without-sure-verification" deal, but in my opinion it is the best available for the U.S. and our allies.

If a future unified Korea emerges, it will still be surrounded by larger and more powerful China, Japan and Russia. And it could want good relations with the strong-but-more-distant U.S.

Rather than dividing the Koreans’ country, America should encourage them to re-create it.

(Lynn T. White III is Professor Emeritus and current Senior Research Scholar in the Woodrow Wilson School, Politics Department, and East Asian Studies Program of Princeton University.)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

At President Donald Trump's summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore, Kim may promise complete denuclearisation, but Trump should know this goal won't be achieved without progress toward Korean unification and increased contact between South and North Korea

By: Lynn T. White III* At President Donald Trump's summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore, Kim may promise complete denuclearisation, but Trump should know this goal won't be achieved without progress toward Korean unification and increased contact between South and North Korea. As a scholar of comparative politics and East Asian studies, I believe that two recent developments – not just one – demand new U.S. policy. So far, the world's attention has been on the first development: the fact that North Korea has nuclear weapons. Less attention has been paid to the second one: recent displays of pan-Korean patriotism. Let me explain why this second development deserves more scrutiny. Moving toward one Korea Most South Koreans, remembering past Northern violence, welcomed April 27, 2018, "Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity, and Unification of the Korean Peninsula." Signing it with Kim, President Moon Jae-in articulated the South’s interests – and raised his domestic popularity – while restraining the U.S. from an attack on the North. Moon did this once before. On August 17, 2017, he announced a U.S. agreement not to take military action against the North without the South’s prior consent. Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed that policy on the same day. This lessens the chance of conflict. But it also creates a danger for the U.S. If war erupts, Kim might now prefer to hit Americans at bases in Japan, rather than fellow Koreans. Conventional weapons still a hazard While these early moves toward stronger relations between the Koreas are a positive sign, the threat of the North's conventional artillery against Seoul remains. Protecting Seoul is a key requirement for South Korea's alliance with the United States. Seoul has importance even for the North because it is the traditional capital of the whole peninsula. The Joseon dynasty ruled there for half a millennium. Until 1972, the North Korean constitution held that Seoul rather than Pyongyang was legally the capital of all Korea. So the South has "Korea’s Berlin." Additionally, two-thirds of all Koreans live here and the South’s economy is 35 times larger than the North’s. Its air force and navy are stronger. From K-pop to electronics, the South has remarkable "soft power" too, while the North is addicted to the hard stuff. Pyongyang has multiple weapons of mass destruction. And while the threat of combat exists, any action is unlikely. The costs of war, as distinct from rhetoric, are prohibitive. The South would suffer, as would the North if the U.S. attacked Kim’s nuclear facilities. He might retaliate by using his artillery against Seoul. National security adviser John Bolton and others in Washington neglect our Korean ally's interests when they focus solely on eliminating North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic capacity. President Moon, like leaders in Washington, Beijing and Tokyo, would prefer that Pyongyang implement "complete, verifiable, irreversible" denuclearisation. But Kim believes that Korea's history of division by foreign powers gives him a right not to follow the usual rules.&nbspThis is more important to him than keeping promises. The fact is that Pyongyang has sporadically in past years committed to denuclearisation. It formally withdrew from the Nonproliferation Treaty only in 2003. The Kim dynasty, in other words, did not follow through on its commitment to shed nuclear weapons. Total, verifiable, irreversible denuclearisation is likely “a bridge too far” in the current context – Kim will not agree to it. In any case, complete verification depends on seeking violations, which is difficult in a dictatorial police state. Complete denuclearisation will be a matter for the future. Demanding it now will not lead to peace on the peninsula or internationally. It is Korean politics, not just Washington politics, that will affect what happens in both the short and long term. Few guess that Kim will fully surrender his only serious power, no matter what he says. First, more South-North contacts Kim cannot restrict the appeal to the North of the South’s lifestyle and prosperity forever. South-North contacts will slowly weaken Kim. His unreliability, the factor that makes him dangerous to the U.S., will be tempered as these contacts with South Korea strengthen. He, together with Moon, has let the genie of patriotism out of the bottle, and I don’t think he’ll be able to put it back. Others have argued that a united Korea is a bigger threat to the U.S., but as I see it, progress toward Korean reunification would reduce the threat to America. A unified Korea would be safer for the U.S. than Pyongyang now is as an isolated nuclear power. Northern elites cannot maintain their patriotic pretenses without talking about reunification, even though some there, as in the South, do not want it any time soon. Regime change will eventually come to the North. South Koreans know that more contacts with the North can raise their taxes, even as peace raises their security and reunites divided families. Trump might willingly be persuaded to accept Kim’s claims about denuclearisation, for the sake of advertising the best "deal" he can get. This would likely only slow Pyongyang's program – not end it anytime soon. Negotiations would take multiple meetings, not just one "summit." A period of South-North links should follow, according to protocols the Panmunjom Declaration has established. Trump may sooner or later turn down a "denuclearisation-without-sure-verification" deal, but in my opinion it is the best available for the U.S. and our allies. If a future unified Korea emerges, it will still be surrounded by larger and more powerful China, Japan and Russia. And it could want good relations with the strong-but-more-distant U.S. Rather than dividing the Koreans’ country, America should encourage them to re-create it. (Lynn T. White III is Professor Emeritus and current Senior Research Scholar in the Woodrow Wilson School, Politics Department, and East Asian Studies Program of Princeton University.) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Memo to President Trump on meeting with Kim Jong-un

Indian shares rose&nbsp;on Tuesday, in line with broader Asian peers, as sentiment turned upbeat after U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

The benchmark BSE Sensex closed up 0.59 per cent at 35,692.52, while the broader NSE Nifty ended 0.52 per cent higher at 10,842.85 ahead of retail inflation data that will be released later in the day.

Both indexes posted their highest closing level since&nbsp;Feb. 1.

Lupin Ltd led gains on the NSE index, ending 6.4 per cent higher. The Nifty Pharma index rose 2.58 per cent to close at its highest in over one month.

The benchmark BSE Sensex closed up 0.59 per cent at 35,692.52

Indian shares rose on Tuesday, in line with broader Asian peers, as sentiment turned upbeat after U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to work towards complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. The benchmark BSE Sensex closed up 0.59 per cent at 35,692.52, while the broader NSE Nifty ended 0.52 per cent higher at 10,842.85 ahead of retail inflation data that will be released later in the day. Both indexes posted their highest closing level since Feb. 1. Lupin Ltd led gains on the NSE index, ending 6.4 per cent higher. The Nifty Pharma index rose 2.58 per cent to close at its highest in over one month.

Sensex hits four-month high over Kim-Trump talks

North Koreans got their first big dose of news today that their leader Kim Jong Un had arrived in Singapore for what even the state-run media was calling a historic meeting with US President Donald Trump.

The news covered the front page of the ruling party's newspaper and was the top - and only - item on the first news broadcast of the day on Korean Central Television, which for many North Koreans is the only channel available.

People crowded around poster stands at subway stations around the capital to read the news and gathered at noon in front of the city's main train station to watch a big screen display of images of Kim getting off the special Air China flight that took him to Singapore.

A report by the Korea Central News Agency said the summit would have "wide-ranging and profound talks" and noted that it is being held "under the great attention and expectation of the whole world."

The relative speed with which the state media got the news of Kim's arrival in Singapore out to the North Korean public suggests a certain level of confidence that the meeting will go well - or at least well enough.

For the North, Kim Jong Un has already won a huge propaganda bonus by merely having the summit and sitting down as an equal with the US president, an accomplishment his father and grandfather sought but could never realise.

By prominently showing the Air China jet that flew Kim to Singapore, the reports also made no secret of China's important role behind the scenes. That might not bode so well for Trump, who has expressed some concern about China's influence.

Even so, the summit continues to be a highly sensitive topic in North Korea and it is difficult - even more so than usual - to get people to express their opinions about it. The media reports Monday follow months of only the scantest of coverage of the plans for Kim to meet Trump, though his summits with South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and China's President Xi Jinping received major coverage soon after they had ended.

"When I woke up this morning I saw the news in the newspaper that our respected Marshal went to Singapore for the North Korea-U.S. Summit," said Han Il Gwang, a Pyongyang resident, displaying typical discretion when speaking to an Associated Press Television crew.

"I know that Singapore is a very hot country so I wish that our respected Marshal stays healthy and comes back in good health." Such characteristic caution when speaking in public notwithstanding, there is no doubt the prospect of the summit is generating a good deal of interest, and probably astonishment, among average North Koreans.

North Korea has so far presented Kim's sudden diplomatic overtures to his neighbors and to the United States as a logical next step following what Kim has claimed is the completion of his plan to develop a credible nuclear deterrent to what

Pyongyang has long claimed is a policy of hostility and "nuclear blackmail" by Washington.

Those points were echoed in Monday's media coverage, which stressed that the talks with Trump would be focused on forging a relationship that is more in tune with what it called changing times - most likely meaning the North's new status as a nuclear weapons state - its desire for a mechanism to ensure a lasting a durable peace on the Korean Peninsula and, finally, denuclearisation.

The news covered the front page of the ruling party's newspaper and was the top - and only - item on the first news broadcast of the day on Korean Central Television, which for many North Koreans is the only channel available

North Koreans got their first big dose of news today that their leader Kim Jong Un had arrived in Singapore for what even the state-run media was calling a historic meeting with US President Donald Trump. The news covered the front page of the ruling party's newspaper and was the top - and only - item on the first news broadcast of the day on Korean Central Television, which for many North Koreans is the only channel available. People crowded around poster stands at subway stations around the capital to read the news and gathered at noon in front of the city's main train station to watch a big screen display of images of Kim getting off the special Air China flight that took him to Singapore. A report by the Korea Central News Agency said the summit would have "wide-ranging and profound talks" and noted that it is being held "under the great attention and expectation of the whole world." The relative speed with which the state media got the news of Kim's arrival in Singapore out to the North Korean public suggests a certain level of confidence that the meeting will go well - or at least well enough. For the North, Kim Jong Un has already won a huge propaganda bonus by merely having the summit and sitting down as an equal with the US president, an accomplishment his father and grandfather sought but could never realise. By prominently showing the Air China jet that flew Kim to Singapore, the reports also made no secret of China's important role behind the scenes. That might not bode so well for Trump, who has expressed some concern about China's influence. Even so, the summit continues to be a highly sensitive topic in North Korea and it is difficult - even more so than usual - to get people to express their opinions about it. The media reports Monday follow months of only the scantest of coverage of the plans for Kim to meet Trump, though his summits with South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and China's President Xi Jinping received major coverage soon after they had ended. "When I woke up this morning I saw the news in the newspaper that our respected Marshal went to Singapore for the North Korea-U.S. Summit," said Han Il Gwang, a Pyongyang resident, displaying typical discretion when speaking to an Associated Press Television crew. "I know that Singapore is a very hot country so I wish that our respected Marshal stays healthy and comes back in good health." Such characteristic caution when speaking in public notwithstanding, there is no doubt the prospect of the summit is generating a good deal of interest, and probably astonishment, among average North Koreans. North Korea has so far presented Kim's sudden diplomatic overtures to his neighbors and to the United States as a logical next step following what Kim has claimed is the completion of his plan to develop a credible nuclear deterrent to what Pyongyang has long claimed is a policy of hostility and "nuclear blackmail" by Washington. Those points were echoed in Monday's media coverage, which stressed that the talks with Trump would be focused on forging a relationship that is more in tune with what it called changing times - most likely meaning the North's new status as a nuclear weapons state - its desire for a mechanism to ensure a lasting a durable peace on the Korean Peninsula and, finally, denuclearisation.

North Korea gets first big dose of Trump summit news

The president of the United States said Monday there was excitement in the air in Singapore ahead of the historic summit on Tuesday when he will meet with the North Korean leader.

"Great to be in Singapore, excitement in the air!" Donald Trump wrote on his Twitter account.

The US president arrived in Singapore on Sunday night and on Monday morning he was scheduled to meet with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at The Istana, the presidential office and residence.

Trump was also due to have a working lunch with Lee and representatives of both governments before meeting in the afternoon with staff of the US embassy in Singapore.

The agenda of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who arrived in Singapore on Sunday afternoon and also met with Lee, remains unknown.

Meanwhile, the delegations from the US and North Korea began a meeting on Monday at the Ritz-Carlton hotel at 10 am local time to finalize the agenda of the summit. Sung Kim - a Washington delegate who has led talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program over the past decade - was heading the US team, according to the White House.

The summit between Trump and Kim is scheduled to start at 9 am on Tuesday at the Capella Singapore. It will mark the first encounter between North Korean and US leaders after nearly 70 years of confrontation and 25 years of failed negotiations as well as tensions as a result of Pyongyang's nuclear programs.

Despite the summit looming, it appeared Trump could not free his mind from the trade row he had with his allies during the G7 summit in La Malbaie, Canada, on Saturday.

"Why should I, as President of the United States, allow countries to continue to make Massive Trade Surpluses, as they have for decades. Not fair to the PEOPLE of America!" Trump wrote in a series of tweets on the subject on Monday.

After the weekend's G7 summit, the US president rejected a joint communique over Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaking out against Washington's new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Trudeau has wowed "retaliatory tariffs."

The US president arrived in Singapore on Sunday night and on Monday morning he was scheduled to meet with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at The Istana, the presidential office and residence

The president of the United States said Monday there was excitement in the air in Singapore ahead of the historic summit on Tuesday when he will meet with the North Korean leader. "Great to be in Singapore, excitement in the air!" Donald Trump wrote on his Twitter account. The US president arrived in Singapore on Sunday night and on Monday morning he was scheduled to meet with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at The Istana, the presidential office and residence. Trump was also due to have a working lunch with Lee and representatives of both governments before meeting in the afternoon with staff of the US embassy in Singapore. The agenda of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who arrived in Singapore on Sunday afternoon and also met with Lee, remains unknown. Meanwhile, the delegations from the US and North Korea began a meeting on Monday at the Ritz-Carlton hotel at 10 am local time to finalize the agenda of the summit. Sung Kim - a Washington delegate who has led talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program over the past decade - was heading the US team, according to the White House. The summit between Trump and Kim is scheduled to start at 9 am on Tuesday at the Capella Singapore. It will mark the first encounter between North Korean and US leaders after nearly 70 years of confrontation and 25 years of failed negotiations as well as tensions as a result of Pyongyang's nuclear programs. Despite the summit looming, it appeared Trump could not free his mind from the trade row he had with his allies during the G7 summit in La Malbaie, Canada, on Saturday. "Why should I, as President of the United States, allow countries to continue to make Massive Trade Surpluses, as they have for decades. Not fair to the PEOPLE of America!" Trump wrote in a series of tweets on the subject on Monday. After the weekend's G7 summit, the US president rejected a joint communique over Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaking out against Washington's new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Trudeau has wowed "retaliatory tariffs."

Excitement in the air, Trump says ahead of Singapore summit

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will sit down on Tuesday, June 12, for an unprecedented summit that has raised hopes of progress on the troubled Korean peninsula.

From Kim's nuclear arsenal to normalising ties between the two-decades-old foes, these are the issues facing the two leaders at what Trump has called a "one-time shot" at peace.

Denuclearisation

This is the absolute crux of the summit and there remains a chasm between the two sides that diplomats were scrambling to close on the eve of the meeting.

Washington is demanding the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) of North Korea. In Trump's words: "They have to de-nuke. If they don't denuclearise, that will not be acceptable."

North Korea has repeatedly expressed a commitment to the "denuclearization of the Korean peninsula" – notably in a report by state agency KCNA on the eve of the summit – but the term is open to interpretation on both sides and it remains unclear what concessions Kim is prepared to offer.

South Korea estimates the North has 50 kilograms of plutonium, reportedly enough for around 10 bombs, and a "considerable" ability to produce uranium weapons.

Previous agreements with the North have subsequently collapsed and experts warn Kim is highly unlikely to give up the "treasured sword" of his nuclear deterrent.

Dismantling a secret nuclear arsenal built up over decades would take several years and be extremely difficult to check, they say.

Siegfried Hecker, a noted US nuclear expert, said the immediate CVID of the North was "unimaginable" and "tantamount to a North Korean surrender scenario".

End to Korean war?

North and South Korea remain technically at war after the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice that Seoul's then leader refused to sign and divided the peninsula along the Demilitarized Zone.

At their summit in April Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to seek a peace treaty and Trump mused earlier this month: "Can you believe we're talking about the ending of the Korean War?"

Seoul announced last week it was in 3-way talks with Pyongyang and Washington for an "early" declaration that the war is over.

That could precede a full treaty which would raise complex issues needing extensive negotiation and would need to involve China, which backed the North during the conflict and is a signatory to the armistice.

But Trump said: "We could absolutely sign an agreement and we're looking at it," adding: "Sounds a little bit strange, but that's probably the easy part."

Normalization

Ahead of the meeting, Trump has dangled the carrot of a normalisation of diplomatic ties between the former foes and even a White House visit for Kim, which would confirm his arrival on the world stage.

"Maybe we'll start with the White House, what do you think?" he said when asked if Kim would be invited to Washington or his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

The other carrot for Kim is a possible loosening of punishing UN Security Council sanctions but here too there is discord, with Washington saying sanctions can end only when denuclearisation is complete and Pyongyang wanting "phased" relief as they make progress towards that goal.

Human rights?

Another question is whether Trump will take up the issue of human rights – with North Korea accused of a host of state-sanctioned rights abuse including extrajudicial killing, torture and kidnapping.

North Korea is estimated to have up to 120,000 political prisoners in its sprawling gulag system.

Close US ally Japan has urged Trump to bring up the decades-old issue of its citizens abducted in 1970s and 1980s to train Pyongyang's spies in Japanese language and customs.

Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said it was imperative that Trump bring up rights issues with Kim.

"North Korea's increased dialogue with other countries is a positive step, but before the world gets too excited they should remember that Kim Jong Un still presides over perhaps the most repressive system in the world," he said.

Security

Kim's main concern is the survival of his own regime – South Korean President Moon Jae-in told reporters that the Pyongyang leader had "concerns on whether he could trust that the US would end its hostile policy and guarantee the security of his regime when the North denuclearizes itself".

So the summit was nearly derailed by talk from Trump's hawkish National Security Advisor John Bolton of a "Libya model" of disarmament.

Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi was deposed and killed in a Western-backed rebellion after abandoning his nuclear programme.

The Trump administration has promised not to seek to bring about regime change and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has even floated the possibility of issuing security guarantees to the North.

But some question why Kim should trust any guarantees given Trump's history of pulling out of accords -- most recently the painstakingly negotiated Iran nuclear deal.

"Why would Kim... believe any commitments President Trump makes when he arbitrarily tears up an agreement with which the other party is complying?" said Antony Blinken, who was deputy secretary of state under Barack Obama.

From Kim's nuclear arsenal to normalising ties between the two-decades-old foes, these are the issues facing the two leaders at what Trump has called a "one-time shot" at peace

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will sit down on Tuesday, June 12, for an unprecedented summit that has raised hopes of progress on the troubled Korean peninsula. From Kim's nuclear arsenal to normalising ties between the two-decades-old foes, these are the issues facing the two leaders at what Trump has called a "one-time shot" at peace. Denuclearisation This is the absolute crux of the summit and there remains a chasm between the two sides that diplomats were scrambling to close on the eve of the meeting. Washington is demanding the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) of North Korea. In Trump's words: "They have to de-nuke. If they don't denuclearise, that will not be acceptable." North Korea has repeatedly expressed a commitment to the "denuclearization of the Korean peninsula" – notably in a report by state agency KCNA on the eve of the summit – but the term is open to interpretation on both sides and it remains unclear what concessions Kim is prepared to offer. South Korea estimates the North has 50 kilograms of plutonium, reportedly enough for around 10 bombs, and a "considerable" ability to produce uranium weapons. Previous agreements with the North have subsequently collapsed and experts warn Kim is highly unlikely to give up the "treasured sword" of his nuclear deterrent. Dismantling a secret nuclear arsenal built up over decades would take several years and be extremely difficult to check, they say. Siegfried Hecker, a noted US nuclear expert, said the immediate CVID of the North was "unimaginable" and "tantamount to a North Korean surrender scenario". End to Korean war? North and South Korea remain technically at war after the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice that Seoul's then leader refused to sign and divided the peninsula along the Demilitarized Zone. At their summit in April Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to seek a peace treaty and Trump mused earlier this month: "Can you believe we're talking about the ending of the Korean War?" Seoul announced last week it was in 3-way talks with Pyongyang and Washington for an "early" declaration that the war is over. That could precede a full treaty which would raise complex issues needing extensive negotiation and would need to involve China, which backed the North during the conflict and is a signatory to the armistice. But Trump said: "We could absolutely sign an agreement and we're looking at it," adding: "Sounds a little bit strange, but that's probably the easy part." Normalization Ahead of the meeting, Trump has dangled the carrot of a normalisation of diplomatic ties between the former foes and even a White House visit for Kim, which would confirm his arrival on the world stage. "Maybe we'll start with the White House, what do you think?" he said when asked if Kim would be invited to Washington or his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The other carrot for Kim is a possible loosening of punishing UN Security Council sanctions but here too there is discord, with Washington saying sanctions can end only when denuclearisation is complete and Pyongyang wanting "phased" relief as they make progress towards that goal. Human rights? Another question is whether Trump will take up the issue of human rights – with North Korea accused of a host of state-sanctioned rights abuse including extrajudicial killing, torture and kidnapping. North Korea is estimated to have up to 120,000 political prisoners in its sprawling gulag system. Close US ally Japan has urged Trump to bring up the decades-old issue of its citizens abducted in 1970s and 1980s to train Pyongyang's spies in Japanese language and customs. Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said it was imperative that Trump bring up rights issues with Kim. "North Korea's increased dialogue with other countries is a positive step, but before the world gets too excited they should remember that Kim Jong Un still presides over perhaps the most repressive system in the world," he said. Security Kim's main concern is the survival of his own regime – South Korean President Moon Jae-in told reporters that the Pyongyang leader had "concerns on whether he could trust that the US would end its hostile policy and guarantee the security of his regime when the North denuclearizes itself". So the summit was nearly derailed by talk from Trump's hawkish National Security Advisor John Bolton of a "Libya model" of disarmament. Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi was deposed and killed in a Western-backed rebellion after abandoning his nuclear programme. The Trump administration has promised not to seek to bring about regime change and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has even floated the possibility of issuing security guarantees to the North. But some question why Kim should trust any guarantees given Trump's history of pulling out of accords -- most recently the painstakingly negotiated Iran nuclear deal. "Why would Kim... believe any commitments President Trump makes when he arbitrarily tears up an agreement with which the other party is complying?" said Antony Blinken, who was deputy secretary of state under Barack Obama.

Nukes and normalisation: What's on the table in Singapore

Embarking on a self-described "mission of peace," President&nbspDonald Trump's seat-of-the-pants foreign policy is facing its toughest test yet as he attempts this week to personally broker an end to North Korea's nuclear program with&nbspKim Jong Un. 
 
The impulsive American president, who just days earlier called into doubt a pillar of the Western alliance, is set to face his match on the global stage as he prepares to meet Kim in Singapore. In the historic first meeting between the leaders of the technically-still-warring nations, Trump is prioritizing instinct over planning. Unlike traditional summits between heads of state, where most of the work is completed in advance of a photo-op, US officials say the only thing certain ahead of these talks will be their unpredictability. 
 
Ever since Trump shocked allies, White House officials, and, by some accounts, the North Koreans themselves when he accepted Kim's March invitation for a meeting, the two leaders have lurched toward an uncertain encounter that may well determine the fate of millions. 
 
"It's unknown territory in the truest sense, but I really feel confident," Trump told reporters Saturday. "I feel that Kim Jong Un wants to do something great for his people and he has that opportunity and he won't have that opportunity again." 
 
Trump's engagement with Kim fulfills the North Korean ruling family's long-unrequited yearning for international legitimacy, itself a substantial concession that could weaken more than a generation of US efforts to isolate the country on the global stage. 
 
"It's never been done before," Trump said Saturday. "And obviously, what has been done before hasn't worked." 
 
A triumvirate of forces is bringing the meeting to fruition, said Scott Snyder, Senior Fellow for Korea Studies and Director of the Program on US-Korea Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, describing the summit as "Produced by Kim, directed by (South Korean President&nbspMoon Jae-in), and inspired by Trump." 
 
The hard-hitting sanctions and desire for legitimacy brought the youthful Kim to the table. The South Korean leader's efforts to avert a potentially catastrophic US first strike pushed both leaders to take a risk. And Trump is the first US president willing to sit-down with the autocratic ruler with so few concessions, believing his self-professed negotiating prowess will guide him though uncharted diplomatic waters. 
 
Raising expectations in advance of the meeting, Trump said the outcome will rely heavily on his own instincts. The US president, who prides himself on his deal-making prowess, said he will know "within the first minute" of meeting Kim whether the North Korean leader is serious about the nuclear negotiations. 
 
"I think I'll know pretty quickly whether or not, in my opinion, something positive will happen. And if I think it won't happen, I'm not going to waste my time. I don't want to waste his time," Trump said. 
 
"This is a leader who really is an unknown personality," Trump added of Kim. "People don't know much about him. I think that he's going to surprise on the upside, very much on the upside." 
 
White House aides described Trump in the days after receiving the initial Kim invitation as being obsessed by visions of winning the Nobel Peace Prize and using `The Art of the Deal' to put his mark on the global order. In recent weeks Trump's enthusiasm has been tempered somewhat by the challenge of deal-making with such an unpredictable opponent. And there are worries from the White House to East Asian allies that Trump's desire for an agreement will lead him to accept any deal — even if it's a bad one. 
 
Trump is set to dangle before Kim visions of protection, economic investment, and even a White House visit, in return for a commitment to abandon his nuclear weapons program. Kim, US officials say, has agreed to put his stockpile of a half-hundred or more weapons on the table for negotiation, but the two countries have offered differing visions of what that would entail. Despite Kim's apparent eagerness for a summit with Trump, there are doubts that he would fully relinquish his nuclear arsenal, which he may see as his guarantor of his survival. 
 
US defense and intelligence officials have assessed the North to be on the threshold of having the capability to strike anywhere in the continental US with a nuclear-tipped missile _ a capacity that Trump and other US officials have said they would not tolerate. 
 
Trump reiterated his promise Saturday that the US "will watch over and we'll protect" Kim and his government in return for him giving up the nuclear program. 
 
Traveling to Singapore, Trump is looking to temporarily escape his flaring personal conflicts with key US allies over trade as well as domestic pressure like the swirling Russia probe. Acutely aware of his coverage in the media, Trump has enjoyed how North Korea has overshadowed some of the more negative coverage of his tumultuous White House. 
 
Still, Trump's team has not always been on the same page, with Secretary of State&nbspMike Pompeo&nbsp— who has been leading the administration's efforts — more supportive, while the hawkish National Security Adviser John Bolton has been more skeptical. Bolton has been far less visible in the planning process, after a comment he made about favoring the "Libya model" for denuclearization enraged the North Koreans.

The impulsive American president, who just days earlier called into doubt a pillar of the Western alliance, is set to face his match on the global stage as he prepares to meet Kim in Singapore

Embarking on a self-described "mission of peace," President&nbspDonald Trump's seat-of-the-pants foreign policy is facing its toughest test yet as he attempts this week to personally broker an end to North Korea's nuclear program with&nbspKim Jong Un. The impulsive American president, who just days earlier called into doubt a pillar of the Western alliance, is set to face his match on the global stage as he prepares to meet Kim in Singapore. In the historic first meeting between the leaders of the technically-still-warring nations, Trump is prioritizing instinct over planning. Unlike traditional summits between heads of state, where most of the work is completed in advance of a photo-op, US officials say the only thing certain ahead of these talks will be their unpredictability. Ever since Trump shocked allies, White House officials, and, by some accounts, the North Koreans themselves when he accepted Kim's March invitation for a meeting, the two leaders have lurched toward an uncertain encounter that may well determine the fate of millions. "It's unknown territory in the truest sense, but I really feel confident," Trump told reporters Saturday. "I feel that Kim Jong Un wants to do something great for his people and he has that opportunity and he won't have that opportunity again." Trump's engagement with Kim fulfills the North Korean ruling family's long-unrequited yearning for international legitimacy, itself a substantial concession that could weaken more than a generation of US efforts to isolate the country on the global stage. "It's never been done before," Trump said Saturday. "And obviously, what has been done before hasn't worked." A triumvirate of forces is bringing the meeting to fruition, said Scott Snyder, Senior Fellow for Korea Studies and Director of the Program on US-Korea Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, describing the summit as "Produced by Kim, directed by (South Korean President&nbspMoon Jae-in), and inspired by Trump." The hard-hitting sanctions and desire for legitimacy brought the youthful Kim to the table. The South Korean leader's efforts to avert a potentially catastrophic US first strike pushed both leaders to take a risk. And Trump is the first US president willing to sit-down with the autocratic ruler with so few concessions, believing his self-professed negotiating prowess will guide him though uncharted diplomatic waters. Raising expectations in advance of the meeting, Trump said the outcome will rely heavily on his own instincts. The US president, who prides himself on his deal-making prowess, said he will know "within the first minute" of meeting Kim whether the North Korean leader is serious about the nuclear negotiations. "I think I'll know pretty quickly whether or not, in my opinion, something positive will happen. And if I think it won't happen, I'm not going to waste my time. I don't want to waste his time," Trump said. "This is a leader who really is an unknown personality," Trump added of Kim. "People don't know much about him. I think that he's going to surprise on the upside, very much on the upside." White House aides described Trump in the days after receiving the initial Kim invitation as being obsessed by visions of winning the Nobel Peace Prize and using `The Art of the Deal' to put his mark on the global order. In recent weeks Trump's enthusiasm has been tempered somewhat by the challenge of deal-making with such an unpredictable opponent. And there are worries from the White House to East Asian allies that Trump's desire for an agreement will lead him to accept any deal — even if it's a bad one. Trump is set to dangle before Kim visions of protection, economic investment, and even a White House visit, in return for a commitment to abandon his nuclear weapons program. Kim, US officials say, has agreed to put his stockpile of a half-hundred or more weapons on the table for negotiation, but the two countries have offered differing visions of what that would entail. Despite Kim's apparent eagerness for a summit with Trump, there are doubts that he would fully relinquish his nuclear arsenal, which he may see as his guarantor of his survival. US defense and intelligence officials have assessed the North to be on the threshold of having the capability to strike anywhere in the continental US with a nuclear-tipped missile _ a capacity that Trump and other US officials have said they would not tolerate. Trump reiterated his promise Saturday that the US "will watch over and we'll protect" Kim and his government in return for him giving up the nuclear program. Traveling to Singapore, Trump is looking to temporarily escape his flaring personal conflicts with key US allies over trade as well as domestic pressure like the swirling Russia probe. Acutely aware of his coverage in the media, Trump has enjoyed how North Korea has overshadowed some of the more negative coverage of his tumultuous White House. Still, Trump's team has not always been on the same page, with Secretary of State&nbspMike Pompeo — who has been leading the administration's efforts — more supportive, while the hawkish National Security Adviser John Bolton has been more skeptical. Bolton has been far less visible in the planning process, after a comment he made about favoring the "Libya model" for denuclearization enraged the North Koreans.

Trump faces toughest test yet in North Korea summit

Denuclearization of North Korea is the headline topic at Tuesday's summit between Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, but for North Korean officials travelling to Singapore, their top priority is much narrower: protecting their leader.

Security for Kim Jong Un at his first meeting with Trump is expected to be ultra-tight, with measures likely surpassing those seen at the April 27 inter-Korean summit, experts and analysts say.

In late April, 12 lanky male bodyguards made international headlines after they surrounded Kim Jong Un's Mercedes-Benz vehicle and jogged alongside it whenever the North Korean leader moved across the border.

April's display may have been more a show for live television. Now North Korean officials will almost certainly emphasise preventing any sudden mishaps in Kim Jong Un's first visit to a foreign country other than China or South Korea since taking power, said Kim Doo-hyun, professor of protection politics at Korea National Sport University.

"As the venue and time of the summit have already been announced, security for Kim Jong Un will be tighter than for any other VIPs," said the professor, who was the first academic to establish a university major in South Korea on guarding and protection. "I think we can presume that North Korea made more demands to Singapore than the United States did in terms of security."

He added in addition to using bulletproof vehicles, North Korea's security detail would likely deploy layers of protection surrounding the summit venue and try to divert attention from Kim Jong Un's car whenever he moves.

"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.

"Kim Jong Un is revered as a god-like being in his country, while outside the North, he's been subject to hostility because of the way his regime is run, and that's enough to always cause safety concerns for his officials," said Chae.

The North Korean leader is also likely to be served food prepared by a travelling chef from the North, Chae added.

US&nbspPresident Donald Trump said on Saturday any agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at next week's summit would be "spur of the moment," underscoring the uncertain outcome of what he called a "mission of peace."

"I have a clear objective, but I have to say - it's going to be something that will always be spur of the moment," Trump told reporters at a news conference at the G7 summit in Quebec. "You don't know. This has not been done before at this level."

Trump said it would probably take time to reach an agreement with Kim on denuclearization, but at a minimum he believed the summit could produce a "relationship" between the United States and North Korea, which do not have diplomatic ties.

Security for Kim Jong Un at his first meeting with Trump is expected to be ultra-tight, with measures likely surpassing those seen at the April 27 inter-Korean summit, experts and analysts say

Denuclearization of North Korea is the headline topic at Tuesday's summit between Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, but for North Korean officials travelling to Singapore, their top priority is much narrower: protecting their leader. Security for Kim Jong Un at his first meeting with Trump is expected to be ultra-tight, with measures likely surpassing those seen at the April 27 inter-Korean summit, experts and analysts say. In late April, 12 lanky male bodyguards made international headlines after they surrounded Kim Jong Un's Mercedes-Benz vehicle and jogged alongside it whenever the North Korean leader moved across the border. April's display may have been more a show for live television. Now North Korean officials will almost certainly emphasise preventing any sudden mishaps in Kim Jong Un's first visit to a foreign country other than China or South Korea since taking power, said Kim Doo-hyun, professor of protection politics at Korea National Sport University. "As the venue and time of the summit have already been announced, security for Kim Jong Un will be tighter than for any other VIPs," said the professor, who was the first academic to establish a university major in South Korea on guarding and protection. "I think we can presume that North Korea made more demands to Singapore than the United States did in terms of security." He added in addition to using bulletproof vehicles, North Korea's security detail would likely deploy layers of protection surrounding the summit venue and try to divert attention from Kim Jong Un's car whenever he moves. "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. "Kim Jong Un is revered as a god-like being in his country, while outside the North, he's been subject to hostility because of the way his regime is run, and that's enough to always cause safety concerns for his officials," said Chae. The North Korean leader is also likely to be served food prepared by a travelling chef from the North, Chae added. US&nbspPresident Donald Trump said on Saturday any agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at next week's summit would be "spur of the moment," underscoring the uncertain outcome of what he called a "mission of peace." "I have a clear objective, but I have to say - it's going to be something that will always be spur of the moment," Trump told reporters at a news conference at the G7 summit in Quebec. "You don't know. This has not been done before at this level." Trump said it would probably take time to reach an agreement with Kim on denuclearization, but at a minimum he believed the summit could produce a "relationship" between the United States and North Korea, which do not have diplomatic ties.

Unprecedented security measures likely to surround Kim at summit

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/any-agreement-with-north-korea-will-be-spur-of-the-moment-trump-143374">Any agreement with North Korea will be 'spur of the moment': Donald Trump</a>

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday any agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at next week's summit would be "spur of the moment," underscoring the uncertain outcome of what he called a "mission of peace."

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/in-battle-of-tweets-canadas-trudeau-dismisses-trump-critique-143368">In </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/in-battle-of-tweets-canadas-trudeau-dismisses-trump-critique-143368">battle</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/in-battle-of-tweets-canadas-trudeau-dismisses-trump-critique-143368"> of tweets, Canada's Trudeau dismisses Trump critique</a>

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said nothing in his G7 news conference that he has not said before to U.S. President Donald Trump, his office said after Trump criticized Trudeau on Twitter as “weak and dishonest” in the wake of the Group of Seven summit.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/priyanka-chopra-apologises-for-controversial-episode-on-quantico-says-shes-proud-to-be-indian--143390">Priyanka Chopra </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/priyanka-chopra-apologises-for-controversial-episode-on-quantico-says-shes-proud-to-be-indian--143390">apologises</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/priyanka-chopra-apologises-for-controversial-episode-on-quantico-says-shes-proud-to-be-indian--143390"> for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/priyanka-chopra-apologises-for-controversial-episode-on-quantico-says-shes-proud-to-be-indian--143390">controversial</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/priyanka-chopra-apologises-for-controversial-episode-on-quantico-says-shes-proud-to-be-indian--143390"> episode on 'Quantico', says she's proud to be Indian</a>

Actress Priyanka Chopra on Saturday took to Twitter to issue an apology for the recent controversy over an episode in the American TV Quantico, in which she plays the lead, which showed Indians as terrorists.&nbsp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajasthan-man-arrested-for-sacrificing-daughter-to-appease-allah-during-ramzan-143369">Rajasthan: Man arrested for sacrificing </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajasthan-man-arrested-for-sacrificing-daughter-to-appease-allah-during-ramzan-143369">daughter</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rajasthan-man-arrested-for-sacrificing-daughter-to-appease-allah-during-ramzan-143369"> to 'appease Allah during Ramzan'</a>

A man was arrested on Saturday in Rajasthan's Piparcity area for allegedly sacrificing his daughter to appease Allah during the ongoing holy month of Ramzan, police said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bilawal-imran-file-nomination-papers-from-karachi-constituencies-143389">Bilawal, Imran file nomination papers from Karachi constituencies</a>

Pakistan People's Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf chief Imran Khan filed their nomination papers on Friday for the upcoming general elections in the country, scheduled to be held on July 25.

Any agreement with North Korea will be 'spur of the moment': Donald Trump US President Donald Trump said on Saturday any agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at next week's summit would be "spur of the moment," underscoring the uncertain outcome of what he called a "mission of peace." In battle of tweets, Canada's Trudeau dismisses Trump critique Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said nothing in his G7 news conference that he has not said before to U.S. President Donald Trump, his office said after Trump criticized Trudeau on Twitter as “weak and dishonest” in the wake of the Group of Seven summit. Priyanka Chopra apologises for controversial episode on 'Quantico', says she's proud to be Indian Actress Priyanka Chopra on Saturday took to Twitter to issue an apology for the recent controversy over an episode in the American TV Quantico, in which she plays the lead, which showed Indians as terrorists. Rajasthan: Man arrested for sacrificing daughter to 'appease Allah during Ramzan' A man was arrested on Saturday in Rajasthan's Piparcity area for allegedly sacrificing his daughter to appease Allah during the ongoing holy month of Ramzan, police said. Bilawal, Imran file nomination papers from Karachi constituencies Pakistan People's Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf chief Imran Khan filed their nomination papers on Friday for the upcoming general elections in the country, scheduled to be held on July 25.

News brief: Big stories of the day

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump said on Saturday any agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at next week's summit would be "spur of the moment," underscoring the uncertain outcome of what he called a "mission of peace."

"I have a clear objective, but I have to say - it's going to be something that will always be spur of the moment," Trump told reporters at a news conference at the G7 summit in Quebec. "You don't know. This has not been done before at this level."

The main issue for the June 12 summit in Singapore, which he departed for before the end of the G7 meeting, is the U.S. demand for North Korea to abandon a nuclear weapons program that now threatens the United States.

Trump said it would probably take time to reach an agreement with Kim on denuclearization, but at a minimum he believed the summit could produce a "relationship" between the United States and North Korea, which do not have diplomatic ties.

At a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday, Trump said he might extend an invitation to Kim to visit Washington. Pyongyang has rejected giving up its arsenal unilaterally and defends its nuclear and missile programs as a deterrent against what it sees as US&nbsp;aggression.

Trump on Saturday said he would know within a minute whether something good would come out of the summit.

"I think within the first minute I'll know. Just my touch, my feel. That's what I do," Trump said. "And if I think it won't happen - I'm not going to waste my time. I don't want to waste his time."

Trump said his summit with North Korea represented "a one-time" chance to forge peace and that he would know within a minute if his counterpart Kim Jong Un was a serious partner.

Speaking shortly before beginning his long journey to Singapore, Trump told reporters that contacts between the US and North Korean negotiators had been positive in the build-up to Tuesday's historic meeting and talked up its prospects of success.

"It's unknown territory in the truest sense but I really feel confident," Trump said as he prepared to leave the ongoing G7 summit in Canada early and head to Asia.

Trump frequently has boasted of his negotiating prowess as a real estate developer, and his ability to read people, even though his businesses have declared multiple bankruptcies.

The US&nbsp;leader was overall optimistic about the summit with Kim.

A rare direct flight from Pyongyang landed in Singapore on Saturday ahead of the expected arrival of Kim. The Air China Airbus 330 flight at Changi airport raised speculation that a delegation of North Korean officials joined an advance team headed by Kim's close aide, Kim Chang Son, who was in Singapore to prepare for the talks.

Kim is expected to arrive at Changi airport on Sunday, a source involved in the planning of the trip told Reuters on Friday.

Trump said it would probably take time to reach an agreement with Kim on denuclearization, but at a minimum he believed the summit could produce a 'relationship' between the United States and North Korea, which do not have diplomatic ties

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday any agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at next week's summit would be "spur of the moment," underscoring the uncertain outcome of what he called a "mission of peace." "I have a clear objective, but I have to say - it's going to be something that will always be spur of the moment," Trump told reporters at a news conference at the G7 summit in Quebec. "You don't know. This has not been done before at this level." The main issue for the June 12 summit in Singapore, which he departed for before the end of the G7 meeting, is the U.S. demand for North Korea to abandon a nuclear weapons program that now threatens the United States. Trump said it would probably take time to reach an agreement with Kim on denuclearization, but at a minimum he believed the summit could produce a "relationship" between the United States and North Korea, which do not have diplomatic ties. At a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday, Trump said he might extend an invitation to Kim to visit Washington. Pyongyang has rejected giving up its arsenal unilaterally and defends its nuclear and missile programs as a deterrent against what it sees as US aggression. Trump on Saturday said he would know within a minute whether something good would come out of the summit. "I think within the first minute I'll know. Just my touch, my feel. That's what I do," Trump said. "And if I think it won't happen - I'm not going to waste my time. I don't want to waste his time." Trump said his summit with North Korea represented "a one-time" chance to forge peace and that he would know within a minute if his counterpart Kim Jong Un was a serious partner. Speaking shortly before beginning his long journey to Singapore, Trump told reporters that contacts between the US and North Korean negotiators had been positive in the build-up to Tuesday's historic meeting and talked up its prospects of success. "It's unknown territory in the truest sense but I really feel confident," Trump said as he prepared to leave the ongoing G7 summit in Canada early and head to Asia. Trump frequently has boasted of his negotiating prowess as a real estate developer, and his ability to read people, even though his businesses have declared multiple bankruptcies. The US leader was overall optimistic about the summit with Kim. A rare direct flight from Pyongyang landed in Singapore on Saturday ahead of the expected arrival of Kim. The Air China Airbus 330 flight at Changi airport raised speculation that a delegation of North Korean officials joined an advance team headed by Kim's close aide, Kim Chang Son, who was in Singapore to prepare for the talks. Kim is expected to arrive at Changi airport on Sunday, a source involved in the planning of the trip told Reuters on Friday.

Any agreement with North Korea will be 'spur of the moment': Donald Trump

A senior North Korean official will hand over a letter from the country's leader Kim Jong Un to US&nbsp;President Donald Trump in a rare visit to the White House&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;as the two sides try to put a derailed summit meeting back on track.

Trump hopes to meet Kim in&nbsp;Singapore&nbsp;on&nbsp;June 12&nbsp;and pressure him to give up his nuclear weapons, although he conceded&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;that might require more rounds of direct negotiations.

"I’d like to see it done in one meeting," Trump told Reuters. "But often times that’s not the way deals work. There’s a very good chance that it won’t be done in one meeting or two meetings or three meetings. But it’ll get done at some point."

Leading the delegation to the White House&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;is Kim Yong Chol, a close aide of Kim Jong Un.

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said late&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;that the details of the meeting were still being worked out. It was not clear whether Trump would receive Kim Yong Chol in the Oval Office.

It was also not clear what North Korea's leader wrote in his letter to Trump, although it was seen as raising hopes that the summit meeting might be back on.

After trading threats of war last year, the two men agreed to meet for a historic summit on&nbsp;June 12. But Trump cancelled last week, citing Kim's "tremendous anger and open hostility" in a string of public statements.

Even as he pulled out, though, Trump urged Kim to "call me or write" if he wanted to revive the meeting.

Within a day, both sides were in new talks to save the summit, and Kim Yong Chol flew to New York this week to meet Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Despite saying the two sides made "real progress", Pompeo also cautioned that there might be no quick solution.

"They'll have to choose a path that is fundamentally different than the one that their country has proceeded on for decades. It should not be to anyone's surprise that there will be moments along the way, that this won't be straightforward," he said.

North Korea's nuclear weapons program has made significant advances in recent years and poses a threat to the United States. Trump's main goal in any talks is to eliminate that threat.

Kim has rejected the previous US&nbsp;calls for North Korea's unilateral nuclear disarmament and argued instead for a "phased" approach to the denuclearization of the entire Korean peninsula. That in the past has also meant the removal of the U.S. nuclear umbrella protecting South Korea and Japan.

In Pyongyang, Kim said his will to see denuclearization on the peninsula remained "unchanged, consistent and fixed” and hoped improved North Korea-U.S. relations would be solved on a "stage-by-stage" basis.

The North Korean visit to the White House&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;will be the first since 2000 when President Bill Clinton met senior figure Jo Myong Rok in an unsuccessful attempt to win the reclusive nation's nuclear disarmament.

The two men met for 45 minutes and Jo brought Clinton a letter from Kim Jong Il, the late father of North Korea's current leader.

Jo wore his full military uniform when he was with Clinton, then donned a business suit to meet with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

To make his trip this week, Kim Yong Chol needed special permission for official travel to the United States because he had previously been blacklisted.

South Korea has accused him of masterminding deadly attacks on a South Korean warship and an island in 2010, and U.S intelligence linked him to a cyber attack on Sony Pictures in 2014.

Trump hopes to meet Kim in Singapore on June 12 and pressure him to give up his nuclear weapons

A senior North Korean official will hand over a letter from the country's leader Kim Jong Un to US President Donald Trump in a rare visit to the White House on Friday as the two sides try to put a derailed summit meeting back on track. Trump hopes to meet Kim in Singapore on June 12 and pressure him to give up his nuclear weapons, although he conceded on Thursday that might require more rounds of direct negotiations. "I’d like to see it done in one meeting," Trump told Reuters. "But often times that’s not the way deals work. There’s a very good chance that it won’t be done in one meeting or two meetings or three meetings. But it’ll get done at some point." Leading the delegation to the White House on Friday is Kim Yong Chol, a close aide of Kim Jong Un. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said late on Thursday that the details of the meeting were still being worked out. It was not clear whether Trump would receive Kim Yong Chol in the Oval Office. It was also not clear what North Korea's leader wrote in his letter to Trump, although it was seen as raising hopes that the summit meeting might be back on. After trading threats of war last year, the two men agreed to meet for a historic summit on June 12. But Trump cancelled last week, citing Kim's "tremendous anger and open hostility" in a string of public statements. Even as he pulled out, though, Trump urged Kim to "call me or write" if he wanted to revive the meeting. Within a day, both sides were in new talks to save the summit, and Kim Yong Chol flew to New York this week to meet Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Despite saying the two sides made "real progress", Pompeo also cautioned that there might be no quick solution. "They'll have to choose a path that is fundamentally different than the one that their country has proceeded on for decades. It should not be to anyone's surprise that there will be moments along the way, that this won't be straightforward," he said. North Korea's nuclear weapons program has made significant advances in recent years and poses a threat to the United States. Trump's main goal in any talks is to eliminate that threat. Kim has rejected the previous US calls for North Korea's unilateral nuclear disarmament and argued instead for a "phased" approach to the denuclearization of the entire Korean peninsula. That in the past has also meant the removal of the U.S. nuclear umbrella protecting South Korea and Japan. In Pyongyang, Kim said his will to see denuclearization on the peninsula remained "unchanged, consistent and fixed” and hoped improved North Korea-U.S. relations would be solved on a "stage-by-stage" basis. The North Korean visit to the White House on Friday will be the first since 2000 when President Bill Clinton met senior figure Jo Myong Rok in an unsuccessful attempt to win the reclusive nation's nuclear disarmament. The two men met for 45 minutes and Jo brought Clinton a letter from Kim Jong Il, the late father of North Korea's current leader. Jo wore his full military uniform when he was with Clinton, then donned a business suit to meet with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. To make his trip this week, Kim Yong Chol needed special permission for official travel to the United States because he had previously been blacklisted. South Korea has accused him of masterminding deadly attacks on a South Korean warship and an island in 2010, and U.S intelligence linked him to a cyber attack on Sony Pictures in 2014.

North Korean leader Kim sends letter to Trump

US President Donald Trump was to receive a letter from his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un&nbsp;on Friday, a much-anticipated moment as preparations for a historic nuclear summit gain pace.

Kim's right-hand man, Kim Yong Chol, was due in Washington a day after talks in New York with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made what the US diplomat called "real progress" towards holding the planned&nbsp;June 12&nbsp;summit.

Meanwhile, back in Pyongyang, the North Korean leader re-committed his isolated state to "denuclearisation", boosting hopes of what would be an extraordinary diplomatic turn-around just a week after Trump threatened to cancel preparations.

Since that short-lived crisis, diplomats in both countries have conducted an intense flurry of negotiations, culminating&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;when Pompeo sat down in New York with Kim's envoy.

Simultaneously, Kim met Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and, according to official news agency KCNA, said the North's "will for denuclearization of the Korean peninsula still remains unchanged and consistent and fixed."&nbsp;

It is still far from clear that North Korea's vision of "denuclearization" in exchange for security guarantees and sanctions relief will prove compatible with Washington's demand for a "complete, verifiable and irreversible" end to its nuclear program.

Many expert observers expect Kim, perhaps with tacit Chinese backing, to demand that Washington also reduce its own military footprint in South Korea and loosen its guarantees to treaty ally Japan.&nbsp;

But Pompeo suggested things are moving in the right direction.

"It will take bold leadership from Chairman Kim Jong Un if we were able to seize this once in a lifetime opportunity to change the course for the world," he said.

"President Trump and I believe Chairman Kim is the kind of leader who can make those kind of decisions, and in the coming weeks and months, we will have the opportunity to test whether or not this is the case."

Kim Yong Chol -- the most senior official from Pyongyang to visit the United States&nbsp;in 18 years&nbsp;-- is expected to present an eagerly expectant Trump with a letter from his young leader

But Pompeo warned this message in itself may not resolve all the issues standing in the way of the summit

"This is a difficult, difficult challenge. Make no mistake about it. There remains a great deal of work to do," Pompeo said, citing ongoing talks in Singapore and in the demilitarized zone on the Korean border

But he said that, after what have now been two meetings with Kim Jong Un and three with Kim Yong Chol, he believes the North is at least ready to consider addressing US demands for denuclearization

"I believe they are contemplating a path forward. They can make a strategic shift. One that their country has not been prepared to make before. This will obviously be their decision," he said

US officials now expect the summit to go ahead, but they want Pyongyang to accept that nuclear disarmament be at the heart of the discussion -- and warn there can be no end to trade sanctions without it

Asked whether the answer would come&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;in the letter, Pompeo said he did not know but added "we have made real progress in the last 72 hours toward setting the conditions.

"The conditions are putting President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un in a place where we think there could be real progress made by the two of them meeting," he said

Earlier, in Washington, Trump had said he was "looking forward" to reading the letter.

The flurry of diplomacy&nbsp;has also seen a rapprochement on the Korean peninsula, with the two Koreas holding high-level talks&nbsp;Friday&nbsp;at the border truce village of Panmunjom to discuss their ongoing efforts to improve ties.

The meeting follows two landmark summits between the leaders of North and South Korea in the last five weeks.

"We will discuss a way&nbsp;to implement expediently and smoothly agreements reached by the two leaders," the South's Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon told journalists before the talks.

He said the delegation would also try "to create a positive atmosphere for a US-North Korea summit."

On his visit to Pyongyang, Russia's Lavrov warned against setting expectations too high, urging all sides to "avoid the temptation to demand everything and now."

Lavrov passed on greetings from President Vladimir Putin to Kim and invited him to visit Russia, the Russian foreign ministry said.

Russia is the latest major nation to reach out to North Korea since Trump accepted Kim's proposal for a summit. Kim has already had two meetings each with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

Kim meanwhile has re-committed his isolated state to 'denuclearisation', boosting hopes of what would be an extraordinary diplomatic turn-around just a week after Trump threatened to cancel preparations

US President Donald Trump was to receive a letter from his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un on Friday, a much-anticipated moment as preparations for a historic nuclear summit gain pace. Kim's right-hand man, Kim Yong Chol, was due in Washington a day after talks in New York with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made what the US diplomat called "real progress" towards holding the planned June 12 summit. Meanwhile, back in Pyongyang, the North Korean leader re-committed his isolated state to "denuclearisation", boosting hopes of what would be an extraordinary diplomatic turn-around just a week after Trump threatened to cancel preparations. Since that short-lived crisis, diplomats in both countries have conducted an intense flurry of negotiations, culminating on Thursday when Pompeo sat down in New York with Kim's envoy. Simultaneously, Kim met Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and, according to official news agency KCNA, said the North's "will for denuclearization of the Korean peninsula still remains unchanged and consistent and fixed." It is still far from clear that North Korea's vision of "denuclearization" in exchange for security guarantees and sanctions relief will prove compatible with Washington's demand for a "complete, verifiable and irreversible" end to its nuclear program. Many expert observers expect Kim, perhaps with tacit Chinese backing, to demand that Washington also reduce its own military footprint in South Korea and loosen its guarantees to treaty ally Japan. But Pompeo suggested things are moving in the right direction. "It will take bold leadership from Chairman Kim Jong Un if we were able to seize this once in a lifetime opportunity to change the course for the world," he said. "President Trump and I believe Chairman Kim is the kind of leader who can make those kind of decisions, and in the coming weeks and months, we will have the opportunity to test whether or not this is the case." Kim Yong Chol -- the most senior official from Pyongyang to visit the United States in 18 years -- is expected to present an eagerly expectant Trump with a letter from his young leader But Pompeo warned this message in itself may not resolve all the issues standing in the way of the summit "This is a difficult, difficult challenge. Make no mistake about it. There remains a great deal of work to do," Pompeo said, citing ongoing talks in Singapore and in the demilitarized zone on the Korean border But he said that, after what have now been two meetings with Kim Jong Un and three with Kim Yong Chol, he believes the North is at least ready to consider addressing US demands for denuclearization "I believe they are contemplating a path forward. They can make a strategic shift. One that their country has not been prepared to make before. This will obviously be their decision," he said US officials now expect the summit to go ahead, but they want Pyongyang to accept that nuclear disarmament be at the heart of the discussion -- and warn there can be no end to trade sanctions without it Asked whether the answer would come on Friday in the letter, Pompeo said he did not know but added "we have made real progress in the last 72 hours toward setting the conditions. "The conditions are putting President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un in a place where we think there could be real progress made by the two of them meeting," he said Earlier, in Washington, Trump had said he was "looking forward" to reading the letter. The flurry of diplomacy has also seen a rapprochement on the Korean peninsula, with the two Koreas holding high-level talks Friday at the border truce village of Panmunjom to discuss their ongoing efforts to improve ties. The meeting follows two landmark summits between the leaders of North and South Korea in the last five weeks. "We will discuss a way to implement expediently and smoothly agreements reached by the two leaders," the South's Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon told journalists before the talks. He said the delegation would also try "to create a positive atmosphere for a US-North Korea summit." On his visit to Pyongyang, Russia's Lavrov warned against setting expectations too high, urging all sides to "avoid the temptation to demand everything and now." Lavrov passed on greetings from President Vladimir Putin to Kim and invited him to visit Russia, the Russian foreign ministry said. Russia is the latest major nation to reach out to North Korea since Trump accepted Kim's proposal for a summit. Kim has already had two meetings each with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

Trump to receive letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un today

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump said&nbsp;on Thursday&nbsp;it may take more than one meeting with North Korean leader&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong Un to seal a denuclearization deal and that he would like Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear weapons program as quickly as possible under any agreement.

Trump, in a brief interview with Reuters aboard Air Force One as he flew to Texas for Republican fund raising events, said he was still hoping for a summit with&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;on&nbsp;June 12&nbsp;in Singapore.

The president emphasized that it may take more than one meeting to reach an agreement.

"I’d like to see it done in one meeting. But oftentimes that’s not the way deals work," Trump said.

"There’s a very good chance that it won’t be done in one meeting or two meetings or three meetings. But it’ll get done at some point. It may get done really nicely and really intelligently, or it may not get done intelligently. It may have to be the hard way," he said.

The president said he believed&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;wanted a deal.

"But I think it’ll get done in a very smart, organized fashion and I think that&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong Un wants to see it also. And I’m going to be very happy when the day arrives when we can take sanctions off, and have a very good relationship with the entire Korean Peninsula," Trump said.

US ally South Korea and North Korea have technically been at war for decades, even though the Korean War's military combat ended in 1953, because a peace agreement was never signed.

The president said he will most likely be visited by North Korean envoy&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Yong Chol&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;at the White House after the official's meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in New York.

The North Korean official is carrying a letter to Trump from&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong Un.

"I look forward to seeing the letter and I look forward to&nbsp;June 12&nbsp;where hopefully we can make progress," Trump said.

Disputes between Washington and Pyongyang led Trump to announce last Thursday he was canceling the meeting with&nbsp;Kim, only to say the following day that it could still go ahead. The days since have seen a flurry of diplomatic efforts to get the summit back on track.

In a letter to&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;last Thursday cancelling the summit, Trump accused North Korea of "open hostility," but urged&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;to "call me or write" if he had a change of heart.

In his interview with Reuters, the U.S. president said a nuclear deal with North Korea would have to cover its missile program.

"It means missiles," Trump said.

He said he wanted to see denuclearization occur at a rapid pace.

“I’d like to see a total denuclearization in as quick a period of time as is practicable," he said. "You’re talking about machinery, you’re talking about things that can’t necessarily happen immediately but they can happen in as rapid a fashion as they can happen. That’s what I want to happen."

North Korea has made advances in missile technology in recent years but Trump has sworn not to allow it to develop nuclear missiles that could hit the United States.

The president emphasized that it may take more than one meeting to reach an agreement

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday it may take more than one meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to seal a denuclearization deal and that he would like Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear weapons program as quickly as possible under any agreement. Trump, in a brief interview with Reuters aboard Air Force One as he flew to Texas for Republican fund raising events, said he was still hoping for a summit with Kim on June 12 in Singapore. The president emphasized that it may take more than one meeting to reach an agreement. "I’d like to see it done in one meeting. But oftentimes that’s not the way deals work," Trump said. "There’s a very good chance that it won’t be done in one meeting or two meetings or three meetings. But it’ll get done at some point. It may get done really nicely and really intelligently, or it may not get done intelligently. It may have to be the hard way," he said. The president said he believed Kim wanted a deal. "But I think it’ll get done in a very smart, organized fashion and I think that Kim Jong Un wants to see it also. And I’m going to be very happy when the day arrives when we can take sanctions off, and have a very good relationship with the entire Korean Peninsula," Trump said. US ally South Korea and North Korea have technically been at war for decades, even though the Korean War's military combat ended in 1953, because a peace agreement was never signed. The president said he will most likely be visited by North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol on Friday at the White House after the official's meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in New York. The North Korean official is carrying a letter to Trump from Kim Jong Un. "I look forward to seeing the letter and I look forward to June 12 where hopefully we can make progress," Trump said. Disputes between Washington and Pyongyang led Trump to announce last Thursday he was canceling the meeting with Kim, only to say the following day that it could still go ahead. The days since have seen a flurry of diplomatic efforts to get the summit back on track. In a letter to Kim last Thursday cancelling the summit, Trump accused North Korea of "open hostility," but urged Kim to "call me or write" if he had a change of heart. In his interview with Reuters, the U.S. president said a nuclear deal with North Korea would have to cover its missile program. "It means missiles," Trump said. He said he wanted to see denuclearization occur at a rapid pace. “I’d like to see a total denuclearization in as quick a period of time as is practicable," he said. "You’re talking about machinery, you’re talking about things that can’t necessarily happen immediately but they can happen in as rapid a fashion as they can happen. That’s what I want to happen." North Korea has made advances in missile technology in recent years but Trump has sworn not to allow it to develop nuclear missiles that could hit the United States.

Trump: Nuclear deal may take more than one meeting with North Korea's Kim

Singapore hotel rooms are being snapped up, police are preparing to lock down the city and thousands of journalists are set to jet in for the greatest media circus on Earth -- the US-North Korea summit.

Top officials are scrambling to salvage the historic meeting between President Donald Trump and the North's leader&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Unplanned for&nbsp;June 12&nbsp;in the city-state.

If the summit -- already cancelled once by Trump before plans got back on track -- does go ahead, then tiny, placid Singapore will be the unlikely ground zero for one of the biggest geopolitical events of recent times.

The delegations of US and North Korean officials, along with their security details, are expected to be huge. But they are likely to pale in comparison to the gigantic media pack set to swarm the tropical city-state.

Some 3,000 people are expected to apply for media accreditation, sources involved in planning the event who spoke on condition of anonymity told.

It should easily eclipse the contingent of journalists at the last comparable event in Singapore, the 2015 meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan's then-leader Ma Ying-jeou. Hundreds of journalists witnessed that meeting.

There was a foretaste of the coming invasion this week as reporters camped out at the upscale Fullerton hotel to get a glimpse of&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Chang Son,&nbsp;Kim's de facto chief of staff, who is in Singapore to lay the ground for the meeting.

Meanwhile, top hotels rumoured to be summit venues -- the frontrunner is the five-star Shangri-La, where the Xi-Ma meeting took place -- are almost fully booked.

But while world leaders hold their breath amid rising hopes a summit could lead to Pyongyang permanently abandoning its nuclear weapons programme, some Singaporeans were more concerned about the potential disruption to their peaceful lives.

Chang Anthony posted on Facebook that the meeting in the squeaky-clean city-state -- calm and stable to the point of sometimes being mocked as boring -- was "going to cause us inconvenience".

"Can government declare a (public holiday) for this special day?" he asked.&nbsp;

"Oh crap, two most unpopular leaders in the world coming here for world peace," lamented Timothy Klein on the site.

Security will certainly be onerous, with large numbers of police set to be deployed and extensive road closures expected around the summit venue.

But Lim Tai Wei, a fellow at the National University of Singapore's East Asia Institute, played down fears the event could cause widespread disruption.

"You have to bear in mind that the country has the experience of hosting the Xi-Ma meeting in 2015, and also previously having hosted past US presidents," he told AFP.

While some may lament the sudden influx of media and diplomats, businesses see it as an opportunity.

In a city famous for the "Singapore Sling" cocktail, watering hole Escobar is proving the country's bartenders can still rise to the occasion with two special summit drinks.

The "Trump" is a blue, bourbon-based cocktail while the "Kim" is a red-coloured cocktail with soju, a Korean liquor, as its base. Both cost Sg$12.60 ($9.40), a reference to the summit's expected date.

The bar -- named after drug kingpin Pablo Escobar -- will also have a "US-North Korea showdown" where customers who order a tray of 20 shots get to compete in a game of "rock, paper, scissors" while wearing gloves emblazoned with the countries' flags.

And there is a special treat for weary summit participants.

"If you can show that you're a delegate attending the event, I'll buy you a round of drinks on the house," owner Stan Sri Ganesh said

Top officials are scrambling to salvage the historic meeting between President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un planned for June 12 in the city-state

Singapore hotel rooms are being snapped up, police are preparing to lock down the city and thousands of journalists are set to jet in for the greatest media circus on Earth -- the US-North Korea summit. Top officials are scrambling to salvage the historic meeting between President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Unplanned for June 12 in the city-state. If the summit -- already cancelled once by Trump before plans got back on track -- does go ahead, then tiny, placid Singapore will be the unlikely ground zero for one of the biggest geopolitical events of recent times. The delegations of US and North Korean officials, along with their security details, are expected to be huge. But they are likely to pale in comparison to the gigantic media pack set to swarm the tropical city-state. Some 3,000 people are expected to apply for media accreditation, sources involved in planning the event who spoke on condition of anonymity told. It should easily eclipse the contingent of journalists at the last comparable event in Singapore, the 2015 meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan's then-leader Ma Ying-jeou. Hundreds of journalists witnessed that meeting. There was a foretaste of the coming invasion this week as reporters camped out at the upscale Fullerton hotel to get a glimpse of Kim Chang Son, Kim's de facto chief of staff, who is in Singapore to lay the ground for the meeting. Meanwhile, top hotels rumoured to be summit venues -- the frontrunner is the five-star Shangri-La, where the Xi-Ma meeting took place -- are almost fully booked. But while world leaders hold their breath amid rising hopes a summit could lead to Pyongyang permanently abandoning its nuclear weapons programme, some Singaporeans were more concerned about the potential disruption to their peaceful lives. Chang Anthony posted on Facebook that the meeting in the squeaky-clean city-state -- calm and stable to the point of sometimes being mocked as boring -- was "going to cause us inconvenience". "Can government declare a (public holiday) for this special day?" he asked. "Oh crap, two most unpopular leaders in the world coming here for world peace," lamented Timothy Klein on the site. Security will certainly be onerous, with large numbers of police set to be deployed and extensive road closures expected around the summit venue. But Lim Tai Wei, a fellow at the National University of Singapore's East Asia Institute, played down fears the event could cause widespread disruption. "You have to bear in mind that the country has the experience of hosting the Xi-Ma meeting in 2015, and also previously having hosted past US presidents," he told AFP. While some may lament the sudden influx of media and diplomats, businesses see it as an opportunity. In a city famous for the "Singapore Sling" cocktail, watering hole Escobar is proving the country's bartenders can still rise to the occasion with two special summit drinks. The "Trump" is a blue, bourbon-based cocktail while the "Kim" is a red-coloured cocktail with soju, a Korean liquor, as its base. Both cost Sg$12.60 ($9.40), a reference to the summit's expected date. The bar -- named after drug kingpin Pablo Escobar -- will also have a "US-North Korea showdown" where customers who order a tray of 20 shots get to compete in a game of "rock, paper, scissors" while wearing gloves emblazoned with the countries' flags. And there is a special treat for weary summit participants. "If you can show that you're a delegate attending the event, I'll buy you a round of drinks on the house," owner Stan Sri Ganesh said

Placid Singapore braces for Trump-Kim storm

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in New York&nbsp;on Wednesday&nbsp;to meet with North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol, the most senior North Korean envoy to hold talks with American officials on US&nbsp;soil&nbsp;in 18 years.

Kim is a former spy chief and trusted adviser to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, playing a pivotal role in preparations for&nbsp;a historic&nbsp;summit between Kim and US&nbsp;President Donald Trump.

Sent as Kim Jong Un's envoy to the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February, Kim Yong Chol told South Korean President Moon Jae-in Pyongyang was open to talks with Washington, the first indication North Korea was changing course after months of trading threats and insults with the United States.

Sent as Kim Jong Un's envoy to the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February, Kim Yong Chol told South Korean President Moon Jae-in Pyongyang was open to talks with Washington

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in New York on Wednesday to meet with North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol, the most senior North Korean envoy to hold talks with American officials on US soil in 18 years. Kim is a former spy chief and trusted adviser to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, playing a pivotal role in preparations for a historic summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump. Sent as Kim Jong Un's envoy to the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February, Kim Yong Chol told South Korean President Moon Jae-in Pyongyang was open to talks with Washington, the first indication North Korea was changing course after months of trading threats and insults with the United States.

Pompeo, North Korean envoy wrap up meeting in New York

When senior defense officials from around the world, including U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, meet in Singapore this weekend, it won’t be all about the U.S.-North Korea summit scheduled to be held in the same city later in June.

The annual Shangri-La Dialogue, delegates say, will be an opportunity for Mattis and other regional officials to look beyond North Korea and address other pressing issues, especially China’s recent moves to further consolidate its extensive territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give the meeting’s keynote speech on Friday, and is likely to lay out his country’s expanding security role in the Indo-Pacific.

India has gradually stepped up its naval activity across the Indian Ocean to balance China’s rising presence. Modi is expected to advertise India’s interest in developing port infrastructure in the region.

“It will not be a surprise if Korea emerges as the single most important topic at the Shangri-La Dialogue,” said Tim Huxley, executive director for Asia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, which organizes the conference.

“But it will not overshadow other very important crises in the region,” he said.

Among them, Huxley said, were China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea, and what part the United States would play in Asia.

“There is a big question mark about that role now in light of the America-first policy,” he said.

Mattis is likely to only make glancing references to the proposed summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12, according to U.S. officials.

“Mattis will likely be vague on North Korea his focus will be on a broader U.S. strategy and regional security issues,” said a U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Mattis said last week of the summit: “The diplomats are in the lead and in charge, and we give them our best wishes to have a fruitful way forward.”

Greg Poling, director of Washington’s Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Mattis needed to show that the United States could address more than just North Korea.

The United States must demonstrate that it is “capable of focusing on other challenges, including the South China Sea and the threat of economic coercion through the Belt and Road Initiative and all of these slow-moving crises, even though North Korea is an immediate concern,” he added.

The U.S. military has put countering China and Russia at the center of a new national defense strategy that will set the Pentagon’s priorities for years to come.

Experts are looking to Mattis for more details on what exactly that means in practical terms for the U.S. military.

A trickier question is how Washington will manage seeking Beijing’s cooperation on North Korea while simultaneously reining in its behavior in the South China Sea and over self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims.

“This is a balance dynamic every administration has to deal with, but we really haven’t seen the Trump administration talk through that yet,” said Abraham Denmark, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia under President Barack Obama.

China’s presence at the dialogue will be typically low-key the country will be represented by Lieutenant General He Lei, vice president of the Academy of Military Science of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, who also represented Beijing last year.

The Trump administration had vowed a more assertive approach towards China than Obama’s over issues such as the South China Sea. But critics say that it has allowed China to continue setting the agenda, and that Pentagon actions have for the most part been largely symbolic reactions to Chinese moves.

On Sunday, two U.S. Navy warships sailed near South China Sea islands claimed by China, the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijing’s efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategically important waters.

It came at a sensitive time, amid trade negotiations and just days after the Pentagon withdrew an invitation to China to attend a major U.S.-hosted naval drill.

On North Korea, Mattis is expected to meet his South Korean and Japanese counterparts on the sidelines of the conference, where he is likely to reiterate that the United States is committed to its allies and ask them to continue to pressure Pyongyang.

Both countries have expressed concern that Trump may put U.S. security interests ahead of theirs in pursuing a deal with North Korea.

Speaking with reporters while flying on Tuesday to Hawaii, where he stopped before going to Singapore, Mattis said his message would be that relations in the Indo-Pacific region had to be based on international laws.

“Those shared principles include respect for sovereignty and independence... peaceful resolution of disputes without any coercion, free and fair trade and investment without practicing predatory economics against poorer countries trying to develop,” Mattis said.

The annual Shangri-La Dialogue, delegates say, will be an opportunity for Mattis and other regional officials to look beyond North Korea and address other pressing issues, especially China’s recent moves to further consolidate its extensive territorial claims in the South China Sea

When senior defense officials from around the world, including U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, meet in Singapore this weekend, it won’t be all about the U.S.-North Korea summit scheduled to be held in the same city later in June. The annual Shangri-La Dialogue, delegates say, will be an opportunity for Mattis and other regional officials to look beyond North Korea and address other pressing issues, especially China’s recent moves to further consolidate its extensive territorial claims in the South China Sea. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give the meeting’s keynote speech on Friday, and is likely to lay out his country’s expanding security role in the Indo-Pacific. India has gradually stepped up its naval activity across the Indian Ocean to balance China’s rising presence. Modi is expected to advertise India’s interest in developing port infrastructure in the region. “It will not be a surprise if Korea emerges as the single most important topic at the Shangri-La Dialogue,” said Tim Huxley, executive director for Asia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, which organizes the conference. “But it will not overshadow other very important crises in the region,” he said. Among them, Huxley said, were China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea, and what part the United States would play in Asia. “There is a big question mark about that role now in light of the America-first policy,” he said. Mattis is likely to only make glancing references to the proposed summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12, according to U.S. officials. “Mattis will likely be vague on North Korea his focus will be on a broader U.S. strategy and regional security issues,” said a U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Mattis said last week of the summit: “The diplomats are in the lead and in charge, and we give them our best wishes to have a fruitful way forward.” Greg Poling, director of Washington’s Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Mattis needed to show that the United States could address more than just North Korea. The United States must demonstrate that it is “capable of focusing on other challenges, including the South China Sea and the threat of economic coercion through the Belt and Road Initiative and all of these slow-moving crises, even though North Korea is an immediate concern,” he added. The U.S. military has put countering China and Russia at the center of a new national defense strategy that will set the Pentagon’s priorities for years to come. Experts are looking to Mattis for more details on what exactly that means in practical terms for the U.S. military. A trickier question is how Washington will manage seeking Beijing’s cooperation on North Korea while simultaneously reining in its behavior in the South China Sea and over self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims. “This is a balance dynamic every administration has to deal with, but we really haven’t seen the Trump administration talk through that yet,” said Abraham Denmark, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia under President Barack Obama. China’s presence at the dialogue will be typically low-key the country will be represented by Lieutenant General He Lei, vice president of the Academy of Military Science of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, who also represented Beijing last year. The Trump administration had vowed a more assertive approach towards China than Obama’s over issues such as the South China Sea. But critics say that it has allowed China to continue setting the agenda, and that Pentagon actions have for the most part been largely symbolic reactions to Chinese moves. On Sunday, two U.S. Navy warships sailed near South China Sea islands claimed by China, the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijing’s efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategically important waters. It came at a sensitive time, amid trade negotiations and just days after the Pentagon withdrew an invitation to China to attend a major U.S.-hosted naval drill. On North Korea, Mattis is expected to meet his South Korean and Japanese counterparts on the sidelines of the conference, where he is likely to reiterate that the United States is committed to its allies and ask them to continue to pressure Pyongyang. Both countries have expressed concern that Trump may put U.S. security interests ahead of theirs in pursuing a deal with North Korea. Speaking with reporters while flying on Tuesday to Hawaii, where he stopped before going to Singapore, Mattis said his message would be that relations in the Indo-Pacific region had to be based on international laws. “Those shared principles include respect for sovereignty and independence... peaceful resolution of disputes without any coercion, free and fair trade and investment without practicing predatory economics against poorer countries trying to develop,” Mattis said.

At Singapore regional defense dialogue, it won't be all North Korea

South&nbsp;Korean President Moon Jae-in met North&nbsp;Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday to discuss Kim's possible upcoming summit with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, the South&nbsp;said in the second inter-Korean summit in as many months.

Moon and Kim met just north of the heavily militarised border in the afternoon to exchange views to pave way for a summit between North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;and the United States,&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea's presidential office said.

The Blue House, South Korea's presidential office, said the two leaders held talks for two hours in the truce village of Panmunjom, where they had met last month and made a declaration vowing to improve ties.

"They exchanged views and discussed ways to implement the Panmunjom Declaration and to ensure a successful US North Korea summit," the Blue House said in a statement, adding further details would be released Sunday morning.

South Korea on Saturday welcomed the renewed prospect of a summit between the United States and North Korea after President Trump cancelled talks with Kim Jong Un only to suggest they might still take place.

"We find it fortunate that the embers of the North Korea-US talks are reignited. We are watching developments carefully," Presidential Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-Gyeom said.

Trump's cancellation of the summit blindsided treaty ally South Korea, which had brokered the remarkable detente between Washington and Pyongyang.

President Moon Jae-in had to scramble his national security team when news of Trump's decision first reached Seoul late Thursday evening as he called Washington's U-turn "shocking and very regrettable".

On Friday, Trump turned on his heels again, saying the meeting with Kim could go ahead after all -- and would "likely" happen on the originally scheduled date of June 12 in Singapore.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Blue House, South Korea's presidential office, said the two leaders held talks for two hours in the truce village of Panmunjom, where they had met last month and made a declaration vowing to improve ties

South Korean President Moon Jae-in met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday to discuss Kim's possible upcoming summit with US President Donald Trump, the South said in the second inter-Korean summit in as many months. Moon and Kim met just north of the heavily militarised border in the afternoon to exchange views to pave way for a summit between North Korea and the United States, South Korea's presidential office said. The Blue House, South Korea's presidential office, said the two leaders held talks for two hours in the truce village of Panmunjom, where they had met last month and made a declaration vowing to improve ties. "They exchanged views and discussed ways to implement the Panmunjom Declaration and to ensure a successful US North Korea summit," the Blue House said in a statement, adding further details would be released Sunday morning. South Korea on Saturday welcomed the renewed prospect of a summit between the United States and North Korea after President Trump cancelled talks with Kim Jong Un only to suggest they might still take place. "We find it fortunate that the embers of the North Korea-US talks are reignited. We are watching developments carefully," Presidential Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-Gyeom said. Trump's cancellation of the summit blindsided treaty ally South Korea, which had brokered the remarkable detente between Washington and Pyongyang. President Moon Jae-in had to scramble his national security team when news of Trump's decision first reached Seoul late Thursday evening as he called Washington's U-turn "shocking and very regrettable". On Friday, Trump turned on his heels again, saying the meeting with Kim could go ahead after all -- and would "likely" happen on the originally scheduled date of June 12 in Singapore. (With inputs from agencies)

South Korean president met North Korea's Kim Jong-un Saturday: Seoul

The United States promised Friday that it would work to rebuild North Korea's sanctions-crippled economy if Kim Jong Un's regime agrees to surrender its nuclear arsenal.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's vow came as senior US officials expressed growing optimism ahead of the landmark June 12 summit between Kim and President Donald Trump.

Pompeo, who held talks Pyongyang's young leader over the weekend, even said "we have a pretty good understanding between our two countries about what the shared objectives are."

He was speaking after talks with his South Korean opposite number Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha to coordinate Washington and Seoul's preparations for the historic encounter.

Many observers have warned Kim's regime will try to drive a wedge between the allies as the summit approaches, playing Seoul's fear of war against Washington's nuclear concerns.

But both Kang and Pompeo insisted that they agreed on the need for the "total, permanent and verifiable" denuclearization of the divided peninsula.

Trump and South Korea's President Moon Jae-in are due to meet on May 22 at the White House for the next round of planning.

Pompeo said the United States would remain on board to help develop the North's economy, which has been devastated by its own mismanagement and crippling international sanctions.

"If North Korea takes bold action to quickly denuclearize, the United States is prepared to work with North Korea to achieve prosperity on par with our South Korean friends," he said.

Since an ad hoc 1953 armistice put an end to active hostilities between the North and the South, South Korea has emerged from devastation to become a leading world economy.

'Good conversations'

But the North has remained one of the world's most isolated states and its outdated economy has been further battered by a UN-backed "maximum pressure" campaign of sanctions.

Over the past year Kim and Trump have added a personal touch to a half-century of international enmity, swapping insults and both openly threatening devastating direct military action.

Kim's regime also carried out missile tests that convinced US intelligence officials, including Pompeo in his former role as CIA chief, that North Korea could threaten US cities.

But South Korea's President Moon reached out to the North, reopening direct talks, and when Kim invited Trump to a summit to discuss disarmament the mood changed.

Pompeo flew to Pyongyang for talks and to recover three released American detainees, and now a summit date has been set for June 12 in Singapore.

"We had good conversations, conversations that involve deep complex problems, challenges, strategic decisions that chairman Kim has before him," Pompeo said.

The pair, he said, talked "about how it is he wishes to proceed and if he's prepared, in exchange for the assurances that we're ready to provide him, if he is prepared to fully denuclearize.

"We'll require a robust verification program, one that we would undertake with partners around the world which would achieve that outcome," he warned.

But he added: "I'm confident that we have a shared understanding of the outcome that the leaders want, certainly President Trump and chairman Kim, but I think President Moon as well."

South Korea's Kang shared in Pompeo's optimism and was at pains to insist that there is no daylight between how Washington and Seoul are approaching the talks.

"We agreed that the summit would be an historic opportunity for resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, and securing enduring peace on the Korean peninsula," she said.

"We reaffirmed that our goal is to achieve the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula," she added, promising "air-tight" coordination.&nbsp

Carrot and stick

Pompeo's promise of an economic carrot to match the stick of "maximum pressure" may reassure observers who are concerned that Seoul and Washington's objectives are not exactly aligned. &nbsp

"There's a danger here of the peace track moving more quickly than the denuclearization track," warned Abraham Denmark, an Asia expert and former senior US defense official.

"If that happens, it could give North Korea an opportunity to try to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington," said Denmark, now at the Wilson Center think tank in the US capital.

Former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice offered three recommendations to Trump: allow experts to make the deal, don't negotiate away the "equities" of others including Japan and South Korea, and "don't be anxious to remove American troops from the equation."

"If we can hold to those three principles, this might work," Rice said at Stanford's Hoover Institution.

So far, the North Korean regime has made vague pledges to "denuclearize" but has not spelled out what that means, when it would happen or how it would be implemented.

In North Korea's bombastic rhetoric, "denuclearization" has, for years, been a byword for US troop withdrawals from South Korea -- an idea that Kang appeared to reject.

After her talks with Pompeo, she took pains to "emphasize again that the US military presence in Korea is a matter for the ROK-US alliance first and foremost."

Hardliners in the North are believed to see a nuclear weapon as a guarantee against outside efforts to topple the regime, but Trump insists he will not tolerate their growing arsenal.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's vow came as senior US officials expressed growing optimism ahead of the landmark June 12 summit between Kim and President Donald Trump

The United States promised Friday that it would work to rebuild North Korea's sanctions-crippled economy if Kim Jong Un's regime agrees to surrender its nuclear arsenal. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's vow came as senior US officials expressed growing optimism ahead of the landmark June 12 summit between Kim and President Donald Trump. Pompeo, who held talks Pyongyang's young leader over the weekend, even said "we have a pretty good understanding between our two countries about what the shared objectives are." He was speaking after talks with his South Korean opposite number Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha to coordinate Washington and Seoul's preparations for the historic encounter. Many observers have warned Kim's regime will try to drive a wedge between the allies as the summit approaches, playing Seoul's fear of war against Washington's nuclear concerns. But both Kang and Pompeo insisted that they agreed on the need for the "total, permanent and verifiable" denuclearization of the divided peninsula. Trump and South Korea's President Moon Jae-in are due to meet on May 22 at the White House for the next round of planning. Pompeo said the United States would remain on board to help develop the North's economy, which has been devastated by its own mismanagement and crippling international sanctions. "If North Korea takes bold action to quickly denuclearize, the United States is prepared to work with North Korea to achieve prosperity on par with our South Korean friends," he said. Since an ad hoc 1953 armistice put an end to active hostilities between the North and the South, South Korea has emerged from devastation to become a leading world economy. 'Good conversations' But the North has remained one of the world's most isolated states and its outdated economy has been further battered by a UN-backed "maximum pressure" campaign of sanctions. Over the past year Kim and Trump have added a personal touch to a half-century of international enmity, swapping insults and both openly threatening devastating direct military action. Kim's regime also carried out missile tests that convinced US intelligence officials, including Pompeo in his former role as CIA chief, that North Korea could threaten US cities. But South Korea's President Moon reached out to the North, reopening direct talks, and when Kim invited Trump to a summit to discuss disarmament the mood changed. Pompeo flew to Pyongyang for talks and to recover three released American detainees, and now a summit date has been set for June 12 in Singapore. "We had good conversations, conversations that involve deep complex problems, challenges, strategic decisions that chairman Kim has before him," Pompeo said. The pair, he said, talked "about how it is he wishes to proceed and if he's prepared, in exchange for the assurances that we're ready to provide him, if he is prepared to fully denuclearize. "We'll require a robust verification program, one that we would undertake with partners around the world which would achieve that outcome," he warned. But he added: "I'm confident that we have a shared understanding of the outcome that the leaders want, certainly President Trump and chairman Kim, but I think President Moon as well." South Korea's Kang shared in Pompeo's optimism and was at pains to insist that there is no daylight between how Washington and Seoul are approaching the talks. "We agreed that the summit would be an historic opportunity for resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, and securing enduring peace on the Korean peninsula," she said. "We reaffirmed that our goal is to achieve the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula," she added, promising "air-tight" coordination. Carrot and stick Pompeo's promise of an economic carrot to match the stick of "maximum pressure" may reassure observers who are concerned that Seoul and Washington's objectives are not exactly aligned. "There's a danger here of the peace track moving more quickly than the denuclearization track," warned Abraham Denmark, an Asia expert and former senior US defense official. "If that happens, it could give North Korea an opportunity to try to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington," said Denmark, now at the Wilson Center think tank in the US capital. Former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice offered three recommendations to Trump: allow experts to make the deal, don't negotiate away the "equities" of others including Japan and South Korea, and "don't be anxious to remove American troops from the equation." "If we can hold to those three principles, this might work," Rice said at Stanford's Hoover Institution. So far, the North Korean regime has made vague pledges to "denuclearize" but has not spelled out what that means, when it would happen or how it would be implemented. In North Korea's bombastic rhetoric, "denuclearization" has, for years, been a byword for US troop withdrawals from South Korea -- an idea that Kang appeared to reject. After her talks with Pompeo, she took pains to "emphasize again that the US military presence in Korea is a matter for the ROK-US alliance first and foremost." Hardliners in the North are believed to see a nuclear weapon as a guarantee against outside efforts to topple the regime, but Trump insists he will not tolerate their growing arsenal.

US vows to make North Korea rich if it gives up nukes

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's trip to Singapore for talks with US&nbspPresident Donald Trump poses logistical challenges that are likely to include using Soviet-era aircraft to carry him and his limousine, as well as dozens of security and other support staff.

The choice of Singapore as the site of the first-ever meeting of a sitting US&nbsppresident and a North Korean leader was as much because it was within reasonable flight time and distance from Pyongyang as because of the island state’s political neutrality, a South Korean presidential official told reporters.

Since becoming North Korea’s leader in 2011, Kim has only taken one known overseas trip by air – and that was earlier this week to Dalian in China to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He flew in his personal Ilyushin-62M jet accompanied by a cargo plane that people with knowledge of North Korean affairs say is believed to have carried his limousine.

"It looks very much like the trip to Dalian was a dry run," said Andray Abrahamian, a research fellow at Pacific Forum CSIS and formerly with Choson Exchange, a Singapore-based group that trains North Koreans in business skills.

At 4,700 km from Pyongyang's Sunan airport, Singapore is easily in the range of the Il-62M aircraft. The Soviet-era narrow-body jet with four engines was first introduced in the 1970s and has a maximum range of 10,000 km.

But the Ilyushin-76 cargo plane cannot fly more than 3,000 km without refuelling if carrying a full load. It will, therefore, have to stop off at a friendly location like Vietnam’s capital on the way to Singapore or fly with a reduced load.

The Il-76, originally designed for moving heavy machinery to remote parts of the Soviet Union, is big enough to fit a school bus or two shipping containers inside it, according to passenger and cargo flight operator Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions.

But the cargo plane has had some safety issues. In the latest incident last month, a crash killed 257 people on board after takeoff from an Algiers air base.

Unlike his father Kim Jong Il, who died in 2011 and who travelled by armoured train on his rare trips abroad because he feared being shot down, according to a North Korean defector familiar with his security details, the younger leader is not known to be averse to flying.

But air travel of this distance does pose a significantly greater challenge in transporting communication and security equipment and personnel needed to back up a summit meeting.

Suite fit for the leader

Lee Yun-keol, a defector who had worked for the North's government and now heads the North Korea Strategic Information Service Center in Seoul, said the trip will involve dozens of security personnel and equipment including possibly a personal toilet for the leader.

It will also mean burning a large quantity of jet fuel, a refined oil product sharply limited by UN&nbspsanctions targeting North Korea’ imports. Kim's two planes will need around 50 metric tons of jet fuel per aircraft for the flight from Pyongyang to Singapore.

China, the main source of fuel for the North, exported just 3 tons of jet fuel in March and made no official exports the two previous months, according to Chinese customs data.

But the North's planes can pick up extra fuel when they fly to China and Russia for commercial operations, and international security experts believe the North may have been stockpiling the fuel which it has also used for its missile programme.

“The United States had preferred Geneva," the South Korean presidential official told reporters, requesting anonymity to discuss the arrangements for the summit meeting.

&nbsp"But Singapore was selected as it was the most realistically viable destination Kim Jong Un could probably travel when considering the travel time and flight distance."

&nbspThe two sides initially considered meeting in the Panmunjom truce village straddling the Korean military border, the scene of the third inter-Korea summit attended by Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in last month, the official said. The official said the South did not know the reason why Panmunjom was dropped.

&nbspThere was no confirmation on the specific location for the meeting between Kim and Trump although there are a number of sites in Singapore that can guarantee security protection, including hotels that have experience hosting high-security events, Singapore media and a Singapore government official said.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the country was "honoured to host it, and would do our best to facilitate a smooth and successful meeting," in a telephone call with Trump on Friday.

Trump said the summit would contribute to resolving the long outstanding issue of securing peace and stability on the Korean peninsula, Singapore's foreign ministry said.

The meeting is scheduled for one day on June 12, but if either or both of the leaders decide to stay overnight, there is only one hotel room in all of the city that meets “security protocol" for the US&nbsppresident, according to a source with knowledge of previous US&nbsppresidential visits.

That is the 348-square meter Shangri-la Suite in the Valley Wing of the hotel of the same name, at a current rate of S$10,000 ($7,500) a night for June 12.

&nbsp

The choice of Singapore as the site of the first-ever meeting of a sitting US president and a North Korean leader was as much because it was within reasonable flight time and distance from Pyongyang

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's trip to Singapore for talks with US&nbspPresident Donald Trump poses logistical challenges that are likely to include using Soviet-era aircraft to carry him and his limousine, as well as dozens of security and other support staff. The choice of Singapore as the site of the first-ever meeting of a sitting US&nbsppresident and a North Korean leader was as much because it was within reasonable flight time and distance from Pyongyang as because of the island state’s political neutrality, a South Korean presidential official told reporters. Since becoming North Korea’s leader in 2011, Kim has only taken one known overseas trip by air – and that was earlier this week to Dalian in China to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He flew in his personal Ilyushin-62M jet accompanied by a cargo plane that people with knowledge of North Korean affairs say is believed to have carried his limousine. "It looks very much like the trip to Dalian was a dry run," said Andray Abrahamian, a research fellow at Pacific Forum CSIS and formerly with Choson Exchange, a Singapore-based group that trains North Koreans in business skills. At 4,700 km from Pyongyang's Sunan airport, Singapore is easily in the range of the Il-62M aircraft. The Soviet-era narrow-body jet with four engines was first introduced in the 1970s and has a maximum range of 10,000 km. But the Ilyushin-76 cargo plane cannot fly more than 3,000 km without refuelling if carrying a full load. It will, therefore, have to stop off at a friendly location like Vietnam’s capital on the way to Singapore or fly with a reduced load. The Il-76, originally designed for moving heavy machinery to remote parts of the Soviet Union, is big enough to fit a school bus or two shipping containers inside it, according to passenger and cargo flight operator Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions. But the cargo plane has had some safety issues. In the latest incident last month, a crash killed 257 people on board after takeoff from an Algiers air base. Unlike his father Kim Jong Il, who died in 2011 and who travelled by armoured train on his rare trips abroad because he feared being shot down, according to a North Korean defector familiar with his security details, the younger leader is not known to be averse to flying. But air travel of this distance does pose a significantly greater challenge in transporting communication and security equipment and personnel needed to back up a summit meeting. Suite fit for the leader Lee Yun-keol, a defector who had worked for the North's government and now heads the North Korea Strategic Information Service Center in Seoul, said the trip will involve dozens of security personnel and equipment including possibly a personal toilet for the leader. It will also mean burning a large quantity of jet fuel, a refined oil product sharply limited by UN&nbspsanctions targeting North Korea’ imports. Kim's two planes will need around 50 metric tons of jet fuel per aircraft for the flight from Pyongyang to Singapore. China, the main source of fuel for the North, exported just 3 tons of jet fuel in March and made no official exports the two previous months, according to Chinese customs data. But the North's planes can pick up extra fuel when they fly to China and Russia for commercial operations, and international security experts believe the North may have been stockpiling the fuel which it has also used for its missile programme. “The United States had preferred Geneva," the South Korean presidential official told reporters, requesting anonymity to discuss the arrangements for the summit meeting. "But Singapore was selected as it was the most realistically viable destination Kim Jong Un could probably travel when considering the travel time and flight distance." &nbspThe two sides initially considered meeting in the Panmunjom truce village straddling the Korean military border, the scene of the third inter-Korea summit attended by Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in last month, the official said. The official said the South did not know the reason why Panmunjom was dropped. &nbspThere was no confirmation on the specific location for the meeting between Kim and Trump although there are a number of sites in Singapore that can guarantee security protection, including hotels that have experience hosting high-security events, Singapore media and a Singapore government official said. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the country was "honoured to host it, and would do our best to facilitate a smooth and successful meeting," in a telephone call with Trump on Friday. Trump said the summit would contribute to resolving the long outstanding issue of securing peace and stability on the Korean peninsula, Singapore's foreign ministry said. The meeting is scheduled for one day on June 12, but if either or both of the leaders decide to stay overnight, there is only one hotel room in all of the city that meets “security protocol" for the US&nbsppresident, according to a source with knowledge of previous US&nbsppresidential visits. That is the 348-square meter Shangri-la Suite in the Valley Wing of the hotel of the same name, at a current rate of S$10,000 ($7,500) a night for June 12.

Trump, Kim summit in Singapore presents logistical challenges for North Korea

US President Donald Trump on Friday hoped that the Korean peninsula will witness peace someday. As Trump spoke to US athletes who participated in the Winter Olympics in South Korea he expressed hope that both sides "can someday live in harmony, prosperity and peace".

"It looks like it could happen," he added. "When I began, people were saying that was an impossibility. They said there were two alternatives: Let them have what they have or go to war. And now we have a much better alternative than anybody thought even possible."

Donald Trump also said that he would be meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in May or June with an aim to denuclearize the Korean peninsula.&nbsp

On Friday, Donald Trump took to Twitter and welcomed the historic meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.&nbsp

In a pair of tweets, Trump appeared optimistic that a summit would be fruitful as he eyed his own meeting with Kim, expected in the coming weeks.

"KOREAN WAR TO END! The United States and all of its GREAT people should be very proud of what is now taking place in Korea!" Trump said on Twitter.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
KOREAN WAR TO END! The United States, and all of its GREAT people, should be very proud of what is now taking place in Korea!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/989820401596366849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"Good things are happening, but only time will tell!" he added.

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After a furious year of missile launches and Nuclear testing, a historic meeting between North and South Korea is now taking place. Good things are happening, but only time will tell!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/989816772713906177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Kim and Moon earlier Friday pledged to work toward the "complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," and seek to declare an official end to the 1950s Korean War and establish a permanent peace agreement.

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp

Donald Trump also said that he would be meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in May or June

US President Donald Trump on Friday hoped that the Korean peninsula will witness peace someday. As Trump spoke to US athletes who participated in the Winter Olympics in South Korea he expressed hope that both sides "can someday live in harmony, prosperity and peace". "It looks like it could happen," he added. "When I began, people were saying that was an impossibility. They said there were two alternatives: Let them have what they have or go to war. And now we have a much better alternative than anybody thought even possible." Donald Trump also said that he would be meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in May or June with an aim to denuclearize the Korean peninsula. On Friday, Donald Trump took to Twitter and welcomed the historic meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. In a pair of tweets, Trump appeared optimistic that a summit would be fruitful as he eyed his own meeting with Kim, expected in the coming weeks. "KOREAN WAR TO END! The United States and all of its GREAT people should be very proud of what is now taking place in Korea!" Trump said on Twitter. KOREAN WAR TO END! The United States, and all of its GREAT people, should be very proud of what is now taking place in Korea! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018 × "Good things are happening, but only time will tell!" he added. After a furious year of missile launches and Nuclear testing, a historic meeting between North and South Korea is now taking place. Good things are happening, but only time will tell! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018 × Kim and Moon earlier Friday pledged to work toward the "complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," and seek to declare an official end to the 1950s Korean War and establish a permanent peace agreement. (With inputs from Reuters)

'Looks like it could happen': Trump hopes for peace on Korean peninsula

North Korea's state-run television KRT on Saturday reported on the inter-Korean summit and called the meeting a turning point for the Korean peninsula.

At the talks on Friday (April 27) both sides had a candid and earnest exchange of views on the matters of mutual concern including the issues of improving the north-south relations, ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula and the denuclearization of the peninsula, KRT news reader said.

KRT separately reported the joint statement North Korea's Kim and South Korea's Moon presented after the first summit in more than a decade between the two Koreas.

Kim and Moon had pledged to work for "complete denuclearization" of the Korean peninsula and agreed on a common goal of a "nuclear-free" peninsula.

Kim and Moon had pledged to work for 'complete denuclearization' of the Korean peninsula and agreed on a common goal of a 'nuclear-free' peninsula

North Korea's state-run television KRT on Saturday reported on the inter-Korean summit and called the meeting a turning point for the Korean peninsula. At the talks on Friday (April 27) both sides had a candid and earnest exchange of views on the matters of mutual concern including the issues of improving the north-south relations, ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula and the denuclearization of the peninsula, KRT news reader said. KRT separately reported the joint statement North Korea's Kim and South Korea's Moon presented after the first summit in more than a decade between the two Koreas. Kim and Moon had pledged to work for "complete denuclearization" of the Korean peninsula and agreed on a common goal of a "nuclear-free" peninsula.

North Korea state media hails inter-Korean summit

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/a-new-history-starts-now-as-leaders-of-two-koreas-begin-summit-133112">wrapped up the first round of talks</a> a short while ago. Both the leaders will meet later in the afternoon.&nbsp;

The significance of the Peace House, a three-storeyed building&nbsp;located just across the demilitarised zone on the South Korean side of Panmunjom truce village, increased manifold today as the historic summit between the heads of two Korean nations took place at the location.&nbsp;

The Peace House is a spot where many bilateral talks and other political meetings took place earlier including the talks between North and South Korea held in January this year to ease the military tensions.

The room where the two leaders met underwent a dramatic makeover. The regular rectangular table was replaced with an oval-shaped one to encourage more candid engagement between the leaders.&nbsp;

According to reports, the roundtable, around which Kim Jon-Un and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in were seated, was meticulously and specially constructed to live up to the grand scale of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/korea-summit-south-koreas-moon-arrives-in-dmz--133086">the historic event</a>.&nbsp;

One of the most interesting facts about the table it that its diameter was kept at 2.018 meters to mark the year (2018) in which the historic Korean summit took place.

While the chairs were made of pure walnut wood, the table was decorated with peonies and daisies symbolising a warm welcome for the leaders and peace.

After entering the Peace House for the inter-Korean summit, Kim Jong Un wrote in the guest book "A new history starts now. An age of peace, from the starting point of history," Kim dated and signed the entry.

The two are scheduled to plant a memorial tree at the border around 0430 GMT to kick off the second session of the summit.

The meeting, aimed at ending their decades-long conflict and easing tensions over the North's nuclear weapons programme, comes weeks before Kim is due to meet US President Donald Trump.

 
&nbsp;

The room where the two leaders met also underwent a dramatic makeover

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in wrapped up the first round of talks a short while ago. Both the leaders will meet later in the afternoon. The significance of the Peace House, a three-storeyed building located just across the demilitarised zone on the South Korean side of Panmunjom truce village, increased manifold today as the historic summit between the heads of two Korean nations took place at the location. The Peace House is a spot where many bilateral talks and other political meetings took place earlier including the talks between North and South Korea held in January this year to ease the military tensions. The room where the two leaders met underwent a dramatic makeover. The regular rectangular table was replaced with an oval-shaped one to encourage more candid engagement between the leaders. According to reports, the roundtable, around which Kim Jon-Un and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in were seated, was meticulously and specially constructed to live up to the grand scale of the historic event. One of the most interesting facts about the table it that its diameter was kept at 2.018 meters to mark the year (2018) in which the historic Korean summit took place. While the chairs were made of pure walnut wood, the table was decorated with peonies and daisies symbolising a warm welcome for the leaders and peace. After entering the Peace House for the inter-Korean summit, Kim Jong Un wrote in the guest book "A new history starts now. An age of peace, from the starting point of history," Kim dated and signed the entry. The two are scheduled to plant a memorial tree at the border around 0430 GMT to kick off the second session of the summit. The meeting, aimed at ending their decades-long conflict and easing tensions over the North's nuclear weapons programme, comes weeks before Kim is due to meet US President Donald Trump.

Meticulously constructed roundtable that was made especially for Korean summit

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-should-come-under-rti-recommends-law-commission-of-india-131199">BCCI should come under RTI, recommends Law Commission of India</a>

Law Commission of India has recommended that Right to Information Act (RTI) should be applicable to The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which is the governing body for cricket in India.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pm-modi-theresa-may-meet-for-breakfast-talk-trade-and-climate-change-131172">PM Modi, British PM Theresa May meet for breakfast, talk trade and climate change</a>

PM Modi met UK prime minister Theresa May at her official residence in 10 Downing Street. The UK PM was quick to greet the Indian prime minister, "very welcome to London, Prime Minister," she said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/cia-chief-pompeos-meeting-with-kim-went-smoothly-good-relationship-was-formed-trump-131205">CIA chief Pompeo's meeting with Kim went smoothly, tweets Trump</a>

After reports emerged of CIA chief Mike Pompeo meeting top North Korean officials including Kim Jong Un, President Trump today confirmed the meeting. In a tweet, the US president said: "Mike Pompeo met with Kim Jong Un in North Korea last week. Meeting went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed."

<a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/india-news/modi-in-uk-prince-charles-greets-pm--131178">After breakfast with Theresa May, PM Modi meets Prince Charles</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was today welcomed by Britain's Prince Charles at an exhibition organised to celebrate India's role in the history of science and technology.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/head-of-chemical-weapons-watchdog-un-security-team-was-shot-at-in-douma-131212">UN security team was shot at in Douma: Head of chemical weapons watchdog</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was today welcomed by Britain's Prince Charles at an exhibition organised to celebrate India's role in the history of science and technology.

BCCI should come under RTI, recommends Law Commission of India Law Commission of India has recommended that Right to Information Act (RTI) should be applicable to The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which is the governing body for cricket in India. PM Modi, British PM Theresa May meet for breakfast, talk trade and climate change PM Modi met UK prime minister Theresa May at her official residence in 10 Downing Street. The UK PM was quick to greet the Indian prime minister, "very welcome to London, Prime Minister," she said. CIA chief Pompeo's meeting with Kim went smoothly, tweets Trump After reports emerged of CIA chief Mike Pompeo meeting top North Korean officials including Kim Jong Un, President Trump today confirmed the meeting. In a tweet, the US president said: "Mike Pompeo met with Kim Jong Un in North Korea last week. Meeting went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed." After breakfast with Theresa May, PM Modi meets Prince Charles Prime Minister Narendra Modi was today welcomed by Britain's Prince Charles at an exhibition organised to celebrate India's role in the history of science and technology. UN security team was shot at in Douma: Head of chemical weapons watchdog Prime Minister Narendra Modi was today welcomed by Britain's Prince Charles at an exhibition organised to celebrate India's role in the history of science and technology.

North Korean leader&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju were among the hundreds in Pyongyang on Sunday (April 1) watching South Korean K-pop singers perform in the North for the first time in more than a decade as tensions between the two countries thaw.

It was the first time a North Korean leader had attended a South Korean performance in the capital.&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong Un was seen clapping in tune to some of the songs and later took photographs with the performers after the show.

Sunday's two-hour concert in Pyongyang, along with a separate taekwondo performance earlier in the day, comes as South Korea's engagement with North Korea has continued to grow since&nbsp;KimJong Un expressed his willingness for more contact between the two countries.

Sunday's concert was held under the title "Spring is Coming" at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre, performed by an elite lineup of 11 South Korean artists including veteran vocalists Cho Yong-pil, Lee Sun-hee, rock star Yoon Do-hyun, singer Baek Ji-young as well as K-pop girl band Red Velvet.

The same South Korean singers will hold a joint concert with North Korean performers on Tuesday (April 3) at the Ryukyung Chung Ju Yung Gymnasium, a joint project between the North and South named after Hyundai Group billionaire founder Chung Ju-yung who had long advocated inter-Korean cultural and economic exchange.

Amid thawing ties between the rivals after more than a year of heightened tensions over the North`s nuclear program, the visit came as a gesture of reconciliation before the peninsula after months of military tensions

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju were among the hundreds in Pyongyang on Sunday (April 1) watching South Korean K-pop singers perform in the North for the first time in more than a decade as tensions between the two countries thaw. It was the first time a North Korean leader had attended a South Korean performance in the capital. Kim Jong Un was seen clapping in tune to some of the songs and later took photographs with the performers after the show. Sunday's two-hour concert in Pyongyang, along with a separate taekwondo performance earlier in the day, comes as South Korea's engagement with North Korea has continued to grow since KimJong Un expressed his willingness for more contact between the two countries. Sunday's concert was held under the title "Spring is Coming" at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre, performed by an elite lineup of 11 South Korean artists including veteran vocalists Cho Yong-pil, Lee Sun-hee, rock star Yoon Do-hyun, singer Baek Ji-young as well as K-pop girl band Red Velvet. The same South Korean singers will hold a joint concert with North Korean performers on Tuesday (April 3) at the Ryukyung Chung Ju Yung Gymnasium, a joint project between the North and South named after Hyundai Group billionaire founder Chung Ju-yung who had long advocated inter-Korean cultural and economic exchange.

Kim attends South Korean performance by K-pop stars in Pyongyang

North Korea&rsquo;s foreign minister landed in Sweden on Thursday for talks, prompting speculation that the two-day trip could lay the groundwork for a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

A Swedish Foreign Ministry spokesman said Ri Yong Ho was in Stockholm to discuss with Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom the security situation on the Korean peninsula and Sweden&rsquo;s diplomatic representation of the United States in North Korea.

Sweden, which is not a member of the US-led NATO military alliance, has been mentioned as a potential location for a possible face-to-face meeting between Trump and Kim.

&ldquo;If it is the case that the main players want Sweden to play a role, to facilitate, to be a forum or a link or whatever else, we are prepared to do that,&rdquo; Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven told Swedish news agency TT.

&ldquo;But it must be the main players who decide, in that case, what role Sweden will have.&rdquo;

North Korean state media confirmed Ri&rsquo;s trip on Friday, saying he had flown to Sweden to speak with his counterpart on &ldquo;bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern&rdquo;. It did not mention engagement with the United States.

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a regular news briefing in Washington she was aware of the Stockholm meeting but the United States would not take part.

&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t have any information that that meeting is about what we anticipate to be a meeting between the United States, other parties, and North Korea,&rdquo; she said, referring this question to the Swedish government.

&ldquo;We are not sending any representation,&rdquo; she added.

Nauert said the United States was preparing for a possible summit with North Korea in good faith but had yet to hear directly from North Korea on the matter.

With a diplomatic presence in Pyongyang that goes back to the 1970s, Sweden may be able to help smooth the path for such a meeting, even if it does not end up hosting the talks.

&ldquo;This meeting will hopefully lead to clarity about what North Korea wants from a high-level meeting and what the time-frame is and what the conditions will be - for example, should there be any preliminary meetings,&rdquo; a source with knowledge of the situation said.

&ldquo;It is not even certain that North Korea wants to have a meeting.&rdquo;

The source said it was important to build confidence between Washington and Pyongyang, adding: &ldquo;The United States wants to have help with consular matters and North Korea wants to be sure that no one is going to invade.&rdquo;

Since Trump&rsquo;s surprise announcement last week that he was willing to meet Kim, speculation has mounted over what location might be chosen to host what would be the first meeting between serving leaders of the two countries.

Sweden acts as a diplomatic representative in North Korea for the United States, which has no embassy there and has helped with the release of US citizens held by the reclusive state.

In its statement, Sweden&rsquo;s foreign ministry noted that the UN Security Council had unanimously condemned North Korea&rsquo;s nuclear weapons and missile programmes and demanded their &ldquo;complete, verifiable and irrevocable elimination&rdquo;.

&ldquo;Sweden fully supports the Security Council resolutions. The aim of the visit is to contribute to the effective implementation of the resolutions,&rdquo; the ministry said.

Ri landed in Sweden on Thursday for talks, prompting speculation that the two-day trip could lay the groundwork for a possible meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un

North Korea’s foreign minister landed in Sweden on Thursday for talks, prompting speculation that the two-day trip could lay the groundwork for a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. A Swedish Foreign Ministry spokesman said Ri Yong Ho was in Stockholm to discuss with Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom the security situation on the Korean peninsula and Sweden’s diplomatic representation of the United States in North Korea. Sweden, which is not a member of the US-led NATO military alliance, has been mentioned as a potential location for a possible face-to-face meeting between Trump and Kim. “If it is the case that the main players want Sweden to play a role, to facilitate, to be a forum or a link or whatever else, we are prepared to do that,” Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven told Swedish news agency TT. “But it must be the main players who decide, in that case, what role Sweden will have.” North Korean state media confirmed Ri’s trip on Friday, saying he had flown to Sweden to speak with his counterpart on “bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern”. It did not mention engagement with the United States. US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a regular news briefing in Washington she was aware of the Stockholm meeting but the United States would not take part. “We don’t have any information that that meeting is about what we anticipate to be a meeting between the United States, other parties, and North Korea,” she said, referring this question to the Swedish government. “We are not sending any representation,” she added. Nauert said the United States was preparing for a possible summit with North Korea in good faith but had yet to hear directly from North Korea on the matter. With a diplomatic presence in Pyongyang that goes back to the 1970s, Sweden may be able to help smooth the path for such a meeting, even if it does not end up hosting the talks. “This meeting will hopefully lead to clarity about what North Korea wants from a high-level meeting and what the time-frame is and what the conditions will be - for example, should there be any preliminary meetings,” a source with knowledge of the situation said. “It is not even certain that North Korea wants to have a meeting.” The source said it was important to build confidence between Washington and Pyongyang, adding: “The United States wants to have help with consular matters and North Korea wants to be sure that no one is going to invade.” Since Trump’s surprise announcement last week that he was willing to meet Kim, speculation has mounted over what location might be chosen to host what would be the first meeting between serving leaders of the two countries. Sweden acts as a diplomatic representative in North Korea for the United States, which has no embassy there and has helped with the release of US citizens held by the reclusive state. In its statement, Sweden’s foreign ministry noted that the UN Security Council had unanimously condemned North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programmes and demanded their “complete, verifiable and irrevocable elimination”. “Sweden fully supports the Security Council resolutions. The aim of the visit is to contribute to the effective implementation of the resolutions,” the ministry said.

North Korean foreign minister arrives in Sweden

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