North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in Singapore on Sunday, amid intense global anticipation of his June 12 summit with American counterpart Donald Trump.
The Southeast Asian city state is hosting Tuesday’s unprecedented meeting between the pair, who are expected to work on a deal to denuclearize the North in return of the removal of sanctions and an American security guarantee.
Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan confirmed Kim’s arrival via Twitter: “Welcomed Chairman Kim Jong Un, who has just arrived in Singapore.”
Balakrishnan also posted a photo of himself shaking hands with the North Korean leader at Changi Airport.
Kim was escorted in a motorcade to St. Regis Hotel, where he will stay under heavy security given that this is a very rare overseas trip for him.
North Korea’s state media usually only reports on Kim’s movements after he has conducted his business.
But the authoritarian state’s regime has shown signs of changing the way it does things in line with early steps towards denuclearization, including two surprise trips by Kim to China this year and a pair of meetings at the inter-Korean border.
Despite that the North sent three separate flights to Singapore on Sunday in an apparent effort to confuse onlookers.
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