Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Media speculations rise

Source Website: http://www.asiaone.com/world/media-speculations-rise-venue-time-set-us-nk-summit
By Choi He-suk, The Korea Herald/Asia News Network, Asiaone, 06 June 2018


Trump-Kim summit will be held at Sentosa's Capella Hotel: White House
PHOTO: Trump-Kim summit will be held at Sentosa's Capella Hotel: White House
The hotel, designed by renowned British architect Norman Foster, has 111 guestrooms and a presidential manor, spread over 12ha of land.
ST PHOTO: JONATHAN CHOO
Picture posted by Tan Tam Mei, The Straits Times on 05 Jun 2018, 6:23 pm SGT
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJbDfmjmNtU4pExpN3x6vcp-JLc9sdJJjbzMlW8ceOA5dQ9CKuhq4u68RSMNwWgaQhefJorBXTj8I9F60zcjRK7zINbhk8cL1EWkCc04aNQHnwx7eG1GRjqJmg8yWy6dDvvlhIMvl8M4/s1600/hzcapella0605.jpg
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The White House on Wednesday confirmed the venue of the US-North Korea summit in Singapore.

In a Twitter post, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders revealed that the meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will take place at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island. A day earlier, Sanders told reporters that the meeting will start at 9am (Singapore time) on June 12.


Sarah Sanders

While the summit getting back on track has fueled hopes for concrete results between Pyongyang and Washington, denuclearizing North Korea appears likely to become drawn out and involve political processes within the US.


PHOTO: In an order made on Tuesday in the Government Gazette under the Public Order Act, the "special event area", which comprises all of Sentosa Island as well as waters off its south-west beaches, will take effect from June 10 and run to June 14.
Picture posted by Tan Tam Mei, The Straits Times on 05 Jun 2018, 6:23 pm SGT
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-aFeXYym6CxdO_aZotfxzSnNuAnCGPCdLERVLSWn3ST-P9LIDUXGfJ2CmklAbpWo0T3LtK2A8r5D9g_tV8SJDy0Eu9GlV2CA5ShXioL8R86ib1soc-Ym4OuvZ0mqGmtLzeXV2CPw7Uxk/s1600/summit-map_online.jpg
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On Tuesday (US time), US politicians said that any agreement the US reaches with North Korea will be subjected to review and approval by the Congress.

“The president, the vice president and the secretary of state have all told me separately that their intent is to put together a treaty that will be submitted to the United States Senate under the constitution for certification,” Sen. James Risch was quoted as saying on Tuesday by US media.

Risch’s comments follow on the heels of Democrat politicians’ letter listing conditions they deem acceptable in reaching any agreement with North Korea.

Conditions include dismantling nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, ending enrichment of uranium for weapons purposes and permanently dismantling North Korea’s nuclear weapons infrastructure.

SPECULATIONS
With no precedence to draw comparisons from, speculations are rising on every aspect of the summit, from Kim’s journey to Singapore to where the two leaders will pose for photographs.


A composite photo showing Trump and Kim in front of the Capella hotel in Sentosa.
PHOTO: A composite photo showing Trump and Kim in front of the Capella hotel in Sentosa.
The sprawling, secluded Capella Hotel in Sentosa has been named the summit venue, and its 30 acres of lawn and rainforest would provide a lush backdrop for a historic handshake. The hotel, which opened in 2009, was restored from buildings that used to house the British officers of the Royal Artillery and their families in the 1880s. It was designed by renowned British architect Norman Foster, has 112 guestrooms and a presidential manor. It is owned by the Kwee family of Pontiac Land Group.
Picture posted by The Straits Times on 06 June 2018 [2]
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC6yP-X6Jczj8hsKhJLC9i2u8BlVBlE_pVrOArGNcgvnaTX8JxKpHLiK0NqOq9K9U7IK6L5FA7BDQn6PJY8DjE-Yu0ObslmGezU-oqQySnGTFKA9hawpME3ZRiANnh9fFRzKWPQgS1cSM/s1600/Trump+and+Kim+in+front+of+the+Capella+hotel+in+Sentosa.png
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https://graphics.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/Interactives/2018/06/trump-kim-photo-op/index.html


Despite repeated denials from Seoul’s presidential office, news reports and rumors that Cheong Wa Dae is making preparations for a three-way summit in Singapore persist.

Such rumors, fueled in part by President Moon Jae-in’s hopes to sign a peace treaty, have gained traction in recent weeks, with Cheong Wa Dae and Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials being sighted in Singapore.

Cheong Wa Dae, however, maintains that South Korean officials in Singapore are making preparations for later diplomatic events.

With China having declared that it will play a role in Korean Peninsula issues, the Chinese government is featuring in many of the speculations being floated by the South Korean media.

According to local news reports citing unnamed sources, China is planning measures that will accentuate its relations with North Korea.

A local news agency reported Wednesday that Beijing is considering providing an escort of fighter jets for Kim’s plane while it travels through China’s airspace.

China is also said to be preparing for the possibility of Kim stopping over, and plans to dispatch a working-level delegation to Singapore to monitor the summit, and the impact its results may have on China.

As the walk President Moon Jae-in took with Kim during their April 27 summit made a big impression, some local news outlets have raised the possibility of Kim and Trump recreating a similar scene.

A local news agency on Wednesday reported that expectations for Kim and Trump to take a walk along the beach near Capella Hotel is rising among “some circles,” without elaborating.

Another point of interest for South Korean media appears to be whether hamburgers will feature on the menu of any of the meals served as an official part of the summit.

Referring to Trump’s comment during his election campaign that US presidents should “be eating a hamburger on a conference table” in summit meetings rather than costly state dinners, local media have coined the term “hamburger luncheon conference.”


Is that Trump and Kim at the National Orchid Garden
PHOTO: Is that Trump and Kim at the National Orchid Garden
Singapore’s first Unesco World Heritage Site, the Botanic Gardens are the nation’s pride and joy, and the jewel in its crown is the 3ha orchid garden. Though some parts of it are closed for a revamp, the VIP Orchids section, where blooms are named after visiting foreign dignitaries, could make an ideal setting for a picture commemorating this meeting of minds.
Picture posted by The Straits Times on 06 June 2018 [2]
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Z1_gKvbWEIO8M6fCdNEyUkH9v3GSZmAF_2ymsieETLblTdrSIjoKHb9ffj9CfZBBgI7ws59x8REbvuEvGVAS_HhiDIdoZmUOtQdGxloPhRtaxp5Zo0NuumWdnAWcEPAW4vlTYUPplUQ/s1600/Trump+and+Kim+at+the+National+Orchid+Garden+.jpg
https://graphics.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/Interactives/2018/06/trump-kim-photo-op/index.html
 

Is that Trump and Kim at the Cloud Forest
PHOTO: Is that Trump and Kim at the Cloud Forest
For dignitaries hailing from less steamy climes, this Gardens by the Bay conservatory would keep them looking – and feeling – cool. We will note the Cloud Forest’s many suspension bridges might be ideal for a pair that have kept the world hanging over the past few weeks regarding the date of the summit.
Picture posted by The Straits Times on 06 June 2018 [2]
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN62r0o_YKjQU-fiKxfQUKAruloC1i_Wwi-OgiyrhA8Zwf9Smt2_sHrMPaGwoR4dNQZj2pdiHos9T4cNUTTGktUS3unVDQLTr73DpBhFoRRTt96VoLgtRRbWF-mh9BxxxQmrv461knRFs/s1600/Trump+and+Kim+at+the+Cloud+Forest.jpg
https://graphics.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/Interactives/2018/06/trump-kim-photo-op/index.html


Is that Trump and Kim at the Peace Centre
PHOTO: Is that Trump and Kim at the Peace Centre
Realistically, this ageing mall near Selegie Road is not diplomatic backdrop material. But its name has inspired some netizens to vote it the ideal summit location. Last month, this edited photo of Mr Trump and Mr Kim sharing a handshake at its entrance was posted online, giving us inspiration for this interactive.
Picture posted by The Straits Times on 06 June 2018 [2]
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvprZ2XMY9ESn7WPJ6tKPVuv3nlzTvYynFmoX9YUF13tWjYNE_d0FDEQ3rFWLkSGYuCaMoDhCzD08-RGeUxy0qZ5qYQVFtxM3prY471WbnlKLfwW9Q_xEkXAQ1n0Bn-c06zyxhTQMuDDQ/s1600/Trump+and+Kim+at+the+Peace+Centre+.jpg
https://graphics.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/Interactives/2018/06/trump-kim-photo-op/index.html

By Choi He-suk, The Korea Herald/Asia News Network, Asiaone, 06 June 2018



Reference
[1] Choi He-suk, The Korea Herald/Asia News Network, Asiaone, Media speculations rise with venue, time set for US-NK summit, posted on 06 June 2018, http://www.asiaone.com/world/media-speculations-rise-venue-time-set-us-nk-summit

[2] The Straits Times, Is that Trump and Kim at the . . . ., posted on 06 June 2018 , https://graphics.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/Interactives/2018/06/trump-kim-photo-op/index.html
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