Changi: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said ‘Coming here was not an easy thing’, as per NHK WORLD News.
This statement is in reference to his one-on-one meeting with US President Donald Trump which took place at a resort island of Sentosa in Singapore.
Earlier in the day, the two leaders arrived at the hotel along with their respective motorcades. They were accompanied by their respective officials.
Further, President Trump and Kim shook hands and then posed for a photograph at the entrance of the venue which was decked up with flags of the US and North Korea.
The meeting came after months of deliberations between two countries over the time and venue of the summit.
In spite of Kim threatening to call off the summit talks following the ‘Max military drills’ and Trump announcing to call off the event, citing “tremendous anger and open hostility” from North Korea as the reason, the historic summit finally culminated successfully.
In April, the reclusive country made an announcement that it would end all nuclear and long-range ballistic missile tests, saying that it no longer needed them.
In May, Trump cancelled the meeting with Kim, blaming hostility and anger displayed by North Korea regarding the US-South Korea ‘Max Thunder’ military drills.
The deadlock regarding the fate of the summit broke after Vice-Chairman of the North Korean ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Committee, Kim Yong Chol visited the White House along with a letter written by Kim and met the US President.
On June 1, the US President said that the US-North Korea summit was back on track.
Earlier, the US President has expressed keenness about his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and called it a “one-time opportunity”.
“Great to be in Singapore, excitement in the air!” Trump tweeted on Monday.
Interestingly, four years ago, Trump had dismissed the very idea of visiting North Korea, tweeting, “No interest, last place on Earth I want to go to.”
This Singaporean summit follows decades of tough diplomatic wrangling on North Korea by the past US administrations, most of which were a failed attempt.
Trump, a while back said he was happy with the meeting and the two leaders, now share an excellent relationship.
ANI