By Elton Gomes
The White House has issued a confirmation stating that the globally anticipated summit between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will finally take place on June 12 at Singapores Sentosa Island.
During the past few months, there has been significant back and forth over the summit. In mid-May, North Korea threatened to pull out of the summit to express their discontent towards the USs national adviser, John Bolton. Later on May 24, Trump penned a formal letter to Kim and cancelled the summit.
However, the highly anticipated and historic meeting is now confirmed as House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that the two leaders will be meeting at Capella Hotel in Sentosa Island. The White House has estimated that the two leaders will meet at 9:00 am (local time).
Meanwhile, the Singapore government stated that it would restrict airspace from June 11 to 13. The Capella Hotel is owned by property firm Pontiac Land Group. The five-star hotel was not the initial choice for the summit as crucial political meetings have not been held there, however, may have been chosen due to its secluded location.
Potential attendees
Former basketball player, Dennis Rodman, might be present at the summit and could play a role in the negotiations. The New York Post reported that Rodman is expected to be in Singapore on June 11.
Touted as an ambassador of goodwill, sources claim that Rodmans presence will help amplify the meet. No matter what you might think about his presence. One things for sure the ratings will be huge. A lot of times in situations that involve complex diplomacy countries like to identify ambassadors of goodwill and whether you agree with it or not Dennis Rodman fits the bill, a source said to the New York Post.
Another possible attendee could be South Koreas President Moon Jae-in. However, Moons attendance is dependent on the progress of talks prior to the summit.
Decoding the summit
The historic summit will be the first time a sitting US president deliberates with a North Korean leader over denuclearization. The deal could spell catastrophe or it could become a mark of reconciliation for both parties.
A Vox article lists potential scenarios arising from the meet. One of which could be that Trump and Kim consent to a broad framework over a deal. Aides of both leaders could then work on fine-tuning the frameworks details.
In another scenario, the two leaders might agree to concessions such as North Korea reducing its nuclear weapons and the US withdrawing its troops from South Korea. If Pyongyang agrees to the USs demand of complete denuclearization, the move could be a victory to both sides.
A worst case scenario is where Kim and Trump agree to nothing this would render the historic summit ineffective and the two nations could possibly threaten each other again.
Elton Gomes is a staff writer at Qrius