10 things you need to know about the Trump-Kim summit in Singapore
The summit will be the first between a North Korean leader and a sitting American president
The on-again off-again summit between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will take place on 12 June in Singapore, the first time a sitting US president will meet the head of the isolated state. It is a high-stakes bid to try to solve the issue of nuclear weapons that has dogged four US presidents.
How did we get here?
After fiery rhetoric between North Korea and the US last year, Kim declared in his New Year’s address that the country’s weapons programme was complete. He then launched a charm offensive with South Korea, using the Winter Olympics to send high-level officials to meet the South’s president, Moon Jae-in.
Those contacts culminated in a summit between Moon and Kim in April at a border village and a joint declaration that both leaders were committed to “complete denuclearisation”. Moon then brokered direct talks between US and North Korean officials, and when a senior South Korean official said Kim wanted to meet Trump, the impulsive US president reportedly accepted on the spot.
Who are the main players?
Kim Jong-un: The 34-year-old leader of North Korea who has incredible power and will benefit from simply meeting Trump. It will confer a sense of legitimacy on his rogue nation.
Donald Trump: The mercurial US president who is looking for a major win after an administration dogged by scandals and stalled legislative efforts at home.
Moon Jae-in: While the South Korean president may not be travelling to Singapore, his liberal government – elected after the downfall of his conservative predecessor – has been a major driver of rapprochement with the North.
Mike Pompeo: Washington’s top diplomat has been on the front line of salvaging the meeting and is the most senior American to meet Kim Jong-un.