President Donald Trump is set to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore on Tuesday. Here’s everything you need to know about the historical summit. (RELATED: North Korea Summit Is Back On).
1. It will be the first-ever meeting between sitting U.S. and North Korean leaders
(Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
The Kim regime has been in power since the Korean War, and in all that time no sitting U.S. President has ever met with a leader of the despotic dynasty. In fact, according to the Los Angeles Times, leaders of the U.S. and North Korea have never even exchanged a phone call. When Trump meets with Kim Jong-un on Tuesday, he will be making history. (RELATED: White House Continues Preparations for North Korea Summit).
2. Trump wants North Korea to denuclearize
(Photo: ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images)
Trump’s end-goal for the summit is “complete, permanent, and verifiable denuclearization” of North Korea. However, while the U.S. desires immediate denuclearization, experts believe it could take as long as 15 years for North Korea to completely wind down its nuclear and missile program. Further, there’s likely a big difference between the U.S. and North Korea’s definition of what “denuclearization” actually means. So if Trump hopes to achieve his goal of denuclearization, the U.S. will likely have to have more than one meeting with North Korea’s leaders.
That being said, Trump also said that he’s “totally prepared to walk away” if there’s no forward progress made in Tuesday’s meeting.
3. Kim Jong-un has three conditions for any eventual deal
(Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images)
Further complicating matters are Kim Jong-un’s lofty conditions for any eventual deal.
- Relief from economic sanctions that have blocked foreign investment and trade
- He gets to stay in power
- The eventual removal of all U.S. troops from South Korea
Quite frankly, the final two points sound like a recipe for disaster. The U.S. will have to delicately navigate Kim’s conditions in an effort to reach an effective deal.
4. Japan and South Korea want more than just denuclearization
(Photo: Korea Summit Press Pool/Getty Images)
Japan and South Korea have a vested interest in the summit – and they want more than just denuclearization. Both countries want the U.S. to address North Korea’s extensive chemical and biological weapons program, as well as their stock of conventional artillery that remains a threat to the region.
Japan also wants Trump to aid in the return of at least 12 Japanese citizens who were abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s.
5. Mike Pompeo is leading the U.S. negotiating team
(Photo by The White House via Getty Images)
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has met with Kim twice in recent months, is leading the U.S. negotiating team. National Security Adviser John Bolton will also be there despite his reference to the “Libya model” while discussing North Korea on “Face the Nation” last month. North Korea took the comment as a threat, as Libya’s leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed after reaching a deal with the U.S.
6. Trump won’t pull any punches
(Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
During a press conference Saturday, Trump said he’ll know “within the first minute” of the meeting whether North Korea is serious about negotiating a deal. “You know the way they say that you know if you’re going to like somebody in the first five seconds? Well, I think that very quickly I’ll know whether or not something good will happen,” Trump said.
Trump has taken a hard line approach with North Korea from the start, and it’s already delivered results. He’ll likely do more of the same on Tuesday.
7. Where and when will it take place?
(Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Trump and Kim will meet at the luxury Capella Hotel in Singapore at 9 a.m. local time Tuesday, which is 9 p.m. Monday U.S. EST. The meeting will start behind closed doors with Trump and Kim alone except for translators. Later, they’ll be joined by top aides in a bilateral meeting and hold a working lunch. Once the summit concludes, Trump will speak to the press before leaving at approximately 8 p.m. local time to return to the U.S.
Source: CBS News
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