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 by Staff Writers Pyongyang, North Korea (AFP) June 12, 2018
North Korea's state media lauded Singapore Tuesday as they highlighted Kim Jong Un's visit to some of its top tourist attractions. A few hours ahead of his historic summit with Donald Trump -- the first encounter between a leader of the isolated, nuclear-armed North and a sitting US president -- Kim took a break from preparations for a waterfront stroll. He was accompanied by the city-state's foreign and education ministers -- with whom he posed for selfies -- and surrounded by officials as police held back pursuing reporters. But images of the young leader are carefully controlled and managed in the isolated North, and travelling media from Pyongyang enjoyed close access to their leader. No fewer than 14 images of his visit to the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) hotel, casino and convention centre and other sights were printed on the front page of the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper. It showed him smiling on the MBS' rooftop Sky Park observation platform, adding he "learned about the social and economic development" of Singapore. Other pictures showed onlookers taking pictures of Kim, who has made only two previous trips beyond the Korean peninsula as leader, both of them to China. Praising Singapore's "clean and beautiful" environment, Kim vowed to "learn a lot from the good knowledge and experience of Singapore in various fields in the future," the newspaper added. The fulsome praise for another country is unusual for the media in the impoverished North, which generally do not show detailed images of affluent foreign countries. The bright lights of the Singaporean cityscape are a notable contrast to Pyongyang, much of which remains dimly lit at night despite Kim overseeing a number of prestige development projects during his rule.
Prawns and Haagen-Dazs on the menu as Trump-Kim meet According to a menu card published from the White House, Kim and Trump had a plethora of western, Korean, Chinese and Malay dishes to choose from at the swanky Capella hotel in Singapore. To start there was prawn cocktail with avocado salad, a Malay "green mango kerabu with honey lime dressing and fresh octopus" and "oiseon" -- a Korean stuffed cucumber dish. The number of options speak to the cultural chasm between the two delegations, but also perhaps the idiosyncrasies of the two leaders. Trump is a notoriously picky and unadventurous eater, enjoying Big Macs and steak (well done, with ketchup). For the second course he would probably opt for the "beef short rib confit, served with potato dauphinoise and steam broccolini, red wine sauce on the side." Or, in a nod to China's substantial influence over the talks, he and Kim could have picked the "combination of sweet and sour crispy pork and Yangzhou Fried Rice with homemade XO chili sauce." In case Kim is similarly picky, he could turn to the familiar comfort of "Daegu jorim" -- a soy braised cod fish with radish, asian vegetables. It is unclear whether the unlikely couple came together at the end over Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream with cherry coulis -- or whether Trump, as he has done before, gave himself two scoops when everyone else got one.
Opposites, rivals, heirs, negotiators: Trump and Kim Singapore (AFP) June 11, 2018 The summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un will be among the most improbable diplomatic encounters in history, featuring principals who could not be more different - but who also share some surprising similarities. Trump was the oldest US president ever to take office when he was sworn in a little over 500 days ago, and will turn 72 on Thursday. The North Korean leader is still in his mid-thirties and remains among the world's youngest heads of government, but has already been in power for ... read more
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