Kim-Trump Summit, Here’s What Happened So Far

By | June 11, 2018

Image Source: 960theref.com

 

The highly anticipated meeting between the leader of the reclusive hermit kingdom and President Donald Trump of the United States of America is about to start in just a day from now (and might even be taking place by the time you are reading the article.) Before such a historical moment is concluded, the author believes that we should take a quick glance again at what happened so far that lead up to this summit.

 

March 5 – North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hosted an unprecedented meeting with high-ranking South Korean envoys, including intelligence chief Suh Hoon and National Security adviser Chung Eui-yong. Chung Eui-yong, one of the South Korean delegates, reported the possibility of de-escalation and meeting opportunity between North Korea’s reclusive leader and President Donald Trump

 

March 8 – South Korean senior delegates delivered a verbal message, inviting President Trump to meet with Mr. Kim Jong Un of North Korea. The White House confirmed that President Trump was ready to meet Mr. Kim “by May”, at an unspecified date

 

March 27 – Mr. Kim Jong Un shocked the world by making his first overseas trip as a head of the state to China, meeting with President Xi Jinping. China state news outlet, Xinhua, reported “the fact that he chose China as the destination of his first overseas visit showed his will to carry forward the tradition of DPRK-China friendship, and how he valued the friendship between the two countries” 

 

April 18 – President Donald Trump confirmed that Mike Pompeo, the then-Director of the CIA, was conducting a secret meeting with the North Korean leader. This was the highest-level contact between US and North Korean officials in 18 years

 

May 7 – The North Korea leader made a second visit to China, meeting with China President Xi Jinping on the coastal city of Dalian. Reuters reported that China supports denuclearization of the Korean Peninsular

 

May 10 – Mike Pompeo returned with three American hostages who had been detained on charges of espionage. Trump announced that he will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12 in Singapore

 

May 12 – North Korea scheduled the dismantlement of its nuclear test site for a period between May 23 and 25 as part of the country’s pledge to the Peninsular Denuclearization

 

May 15 – North Korea canceled a high-level meeting with South Korea and threatened to scrap the historic summit with President Donald Trump. This was following the US-South Korea military exercise “Max Thunder”, as well as John Bolton’s “Libya model” remark (which called for unilateral nuclear disarmament)

 

May 24 – President Donald Trump “canceled” the highly anticipated summit with the North Korean leader.

 

May 26 – Mr. Kim Jong Un met with South Korea President Moon Jae-in at the border village Panmunjom within the DMZ. This meeting resulted in the Panmunjom Declaration which confirmed the two countries’ commitment towards de-escalation, denuclearization, and permanent peace

 

May 30 – Kim Yong Chol, the former military intelligence chief and one of the North Korean leader’s closest aides flew to New York for a dinner with Mike Pompeo, the (now) Secretary of State

 

7 June – A South Korean military source said that China could send fighter jets to escort Kim Jong Un when North Korea’s Air Force One travels through its airspace for a meeting in Singapore with President Donald Trump

 

1 June – President Donald Trump said “Now we’re going to deal” and confirmed that his meeting with the North Korean leader is back on track

 

10 June – Mr. Kim Jong Un arrived in Singapore via Air China passenger jet. An hour later, President Trump arrived as well via Air Force One. Both had landed in the island country ahead of schedule.

 

The Kim-Trump summit is expected to take place at 9 AM; 12 June (Tuesday) with Mr. Kim scheduled to leave at 2 PM of the same day. The meeting also incurred a cost of at least S$20 million which will be paid for by the Singaporean government, according to Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong. No Chinese or Russian delegates were invited to observe this meeting. However, the fact that the North Korean leader chose to travel via Chinese-controlled airspace might suggest some form of compromise being made to the country gigantic neighbor.

Despite the relative size and cost of the summit, the first meeting between the Korean leader and the President of the United States would be a monumental event in the history of Asia.

 

Cover Photo Source: ChannelNewsAsia

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