One day to go until summit time
Hello faithful readers and supporters! Here’s the view from my hotel window this morning as I prepare to scope out the scene to cover the Trump-Kim Summit tomorrow.
First stop will be the Marriott nearby to pick up my White House credentials. Then to Singapore’s International Media Center for the same. My colleague Nambeon Kim from Newstapa just arrived from Seoul, and we’re preparing to send out one video report a day.
Once we get situated at the press center, we plan to cover a press conference at 1pm, where the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), winner of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize, is presenting “a plan for the comprehensive, verifiable and permanent denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula” that will hopefull address US nukes aimed at North Korea as well as the DPRK’s arsenal.
What I’ve learned so far: 1) the Capella Resort on Sentosa Island where Trump and Kim meet is the same site where the British accepted Japan’s surrender in Singapore in 1945 (an interesting fact when you consider that the US and Soviet Union acceptance of Japan’s surrender in Korea is what led inevitably to its unfortunate division) and 2) Singapore’s security force has been augmented by Ghurkas from Nepal. I owe both of these tidbits to my cab driver last night, who like every Singaporean I’ve met so far is very hopeful about the summit.
Both Kim and Trump arrived yesterday – Kim a few hours before POTUS, giving him time to meet with Singapore’s Prime Minister. Meanwhile, before I sign off to get to the press centers, here’s photos of Kim’s and Trump’s arrival, provided by Singapore’s Ministry of Communications and Information (for some reason Kim’s pics are larger than Trump’s).
Back later with more from this hot and humid city!
