A few hours before the historic meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kin Jong Un on Tuesday, Former NBA star Dennis Rodman arrived in Singapore saying he is ”excited to be part of it.” He is one of the few westerners who have visited Kim in Pyongyang.
Just arrived to Singapore for the Historical Summit! Looking forward to @POTUS having incredible success that the whole world will benefit by. Thank you @potcoin for supporting my mission! #Peace #Love #HistoricalSummit #Singapore #PresidentTrump #MarshallKimJongUn pic.twitter.com/XNDsyBjLv8
— Dennis Rodman (@dennisrodman) June 11, 2018
Rodman emerged from the baggage claim area at Changi airport around midnight Monday. He told reporters he wasn’t sure if he would meet Kim in Singapore. However, it has led to speculation about his role in the Kim-Trump meeting. In the past, both the White House and Trump have denied inviting Rodman to Singapore.
Last week, Rodman said he would “give whatever support is needed” to his “friends” Trump and Kim.
On Monday night the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walked through down town Singapore, surprising everyone. The reclusive leader went on an evening tour of Singapore, posing with city-state officials at a tropical garden before visiting an infinity pool atop a landmark waterfront hotel, to the surprise of guests.
His motorcade included bus loads of security personnel and aides, escorted by dozens of Singapore police officers on motorbikes. He joined Singapore’s foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, who tweeted a selfie with a smiling Kim and Singapore Education Minister Ong Ye Kung.
Earlier in the day US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said “all the preparations for the summit have come together very nicely.”
This is the first face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the two countries, since the 1950-1953 Korean War. Meanwhile, Pompeo told Reuters that Trump is well-prepared for Tuesday’s engagement with Kim and the US position remains clear and unchanged.
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Latest from Singapore
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to reporters Monday evening in Singapore. He said that the meeting will be a closed door, one-on-one, between Kim and Trump. Though he declined to answer questions on the nature of talks with DPRK officials on Monday morning, he said that it is an “an unprecedented opportunity to change the trajectory of our relationship and bring peace and prosperity to North Korea.” Watch the briefing to know more.
- Trump spoke to the South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday, according to ABC News’ Joohee Cho, about the historic summit, which will have a major effect on South Korea. Kim and Moon have met twice in recent months, at the Demilitarized Zone in summits which are historic on their accord.
- Trump celebrated his birthday a little early. His birthday is on June 14. He then left for the Sentosa island, which is the venue for the summit.
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- Early birthday celebrations for Trump
- Trump met host, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, on Monday morning at the Istana, Singapore.
Thank you Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong! pic.twitter.com/8MMYGuOj8Q
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 11, 2018
- North Korean delegates go shopping
- Officials of the two countries held two hours of talks to push the agenda forward ahead of Tuesday’s summit. Gaps remained over what denuclearization would entail.
Substantive and detailed meetings in #Singapore today as Ambassador Kim meets with #DPRK @StateDept pic.twitter.com/V4WwbUk6oO
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) June 11, 2018
The officials have a clear brief, evident in Secretary Pompeo’s tweet.
Early pre-brief with my @StateDept team. Amb Kim meets with #DPRK today. We remain committed to the complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula pic.twitter.com/ybtrMJuqK8
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) June 11, 2018
- Massive roadblocks and traffic diversions in Singapore
- Trump is staying at the Shangri-La, while North Korean delegation is staying at the St Regis hotel
- Kim has no official engagements
- Kim met the Lee on Sunday
Met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this evening. I wished him a successful Summit on Tuesday & a good stay in Singapore. – LHL https://t.co/mv7CzUwTm4 #TrumpKimSummit pic.twitter.com/w4FKP7gri6
— Lee Hsien Loong (@leehsienloong) June 10, 2018
- Trump will leave the island nation Tuesday evening, while Kim is expected to leave by the afternoon.
