The night before President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un’s historic summit, Kim decided to take in some local landmarks and enjoy a casual night out on the town.
Kim Jong Un went sightseeing in Singapore hours before Tuesday’s historic summit
Kim stopped by a nature park and an observation deck the night before the summit.
Madeleine Ngo covers economic policy for Vox. She previously worked at the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Trump and Kim plan to meet at 9 pm on Monday evening Eastern time (Tuesday at 9 am in Singapore) for the first face-to-face meeting between a sitting American and North Korean leader. The Singapore summit will begin with the two leaders publicly greeting each other, followed by a one-on-one meeting and group negotiations with top Trump and Kim aides about the potential denuclearization of North Korea.
The stakes are incredibly high, especially because of the very real possibility of a war between the two countries. But before the serious talks commenced, Kim decided to go sightseeing.
In Singapore, Kim is a man about town
First, the North Korean leader appears to have visited the well-known nature park called Gardens by the Bay at around 9 pm Singaporean time, according to the Straits Times. His sister, Kim Yo Jong, and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho were also spotted strolling through the park with Kim.
The Singaporean foreign minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, posted a selfie on Facebook with Kim and Singaporean Education Minister Ong Ye standing in front of a wall of vibrant flowers.
Later that evening, after spending about 20 minutes at the park, Kim was spotted at the iconic Singaporean resort Marina Bay Sands and greeted by crowds of cheering people who were apparently trying to catch a glimpse of the reclusive North Korean leader. Kim was later photographed at the top of the resort’s 57th-floor observation deck.
At around 10:20 pm, Kim and his entourage of more than 50 were seen marching across the Jubilee Bridge before leaving in his motorcade five minutes later. Kim returned to the St. Regis Hotel, where he is staying, at around 11:20 pm, according to the Straits Times.
It’s a lot to take in for one evening, especially considering the high-stakes diplomatic event he has to attend the next day. As Vox’s Alex Ward writes, “President Donald Trump’s historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be the most dramatic diplomatic moment of his drama-filled presidency so far.”
The outcome of the summit is still up in the air, but if nothing comes out of the talks, at least Kim seems like he had a good time in Singapore.
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