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A train believed to be carrying North Korean leader Kim Jong-un leaves from a train station in the Chinese border city of Dandong, China in this photo taken by Kyodo on February 23, 2019.(Kyodo/REUTERS)
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Speculations abound concerning additional events for 2-day schedule
The summit in Hanoi between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump will be “similar in format to [the summit] last June 12 in Singapore,” a US administration official said on Feb. 21. “There will be an opportunity for the two leaders to see one another one-on-one, to share a meal and engage in expanded meetings of their respective delegations,” the official explained in a conference call, adding that details on the exact format of the meeting would emerge shortly. The three areas mentioned by the official – one-on-one and expanded meetings and a shared meal – are considered essential minimum components of a summit. Other important elements are almost certain to be included in the schedule as well. In the case of last year’s Singapore summit on June 12, the two leaders shared a 12-second handshake followed by a one-on-one summit (36 minutes), expanded summit (100 minutes), working lunch (50 minutes), a walk (one minute), a joint statement signing ceremony (six minutes), and a press conference by Trump (65 minutes). Given the historical significance of the occasion with the North Korea and US leaders meeting for the first time after 70 years of antagonism, the global press focused major coverage to the still and video images of the 12-second handshake, one-minute walk and joint statement signing ceremony. Spending over three hours together in their first encounter, Kim and Trump established a solid foundation of trust. The schedule for the Hanoi summit is likely to include a richer range of elements than in Singapore. The main events in the summit are expected to come on Feb. 28. A few things are particularly worth nothing. First, observers are watching to see how Kim and Trump will meet on Feb. 27, the first day of what has been billed as a two-day summit. In Singapore, each of the two leaders followed his own separate schedule for the meeting’s first day on June 11. The next question is whether the press conference after the summit will be by Trump alone, as in Singapore, or whether the two leaders will jointly announce their agreement, as with the inter-Korean summits last year. The third question is whether the event will also include “first lady diplomacy” with a meeting between Ri Sol-ju and Melania Trump, or between Kim’s sister Kim Yo-jong and Trump’s daughter Ivanka, both of whom are key associates of the respective leaders as well as next of kin. Another key question is whether any major events are being prepared beyond the first summit’s 12-second handshake and one-minute stroll. By Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
