North Korean leader Kim Jong Un landed at the VIP terminal of the Changi airport in Singapore on Sunday afternoon, bringing to close speculations about his flight plans. Kim, according to available reports, chose to take a special flight offered by Air China to fly nearly 5,000km from Pyongyang to reach Singapore, where he is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on June 12.
The Boeing 747 of Air China flew into Pyongyang from Beijing early in the morning, and took off at 8.30 am. It touched down in Singapore at 2.35 pm. It initially appeared to be flying back to Beijing, but changed its flight number and flight plan mid air, and flew into Singapore. An Air China Airbus A330 was used yesterday to fly a North Korean advance party to Singapore. Two other flights, including a cargo flight and Kim’s official jet, the Chammae-1, were also seen flying from Pyongyang to Singapore this morning. The cargo flight was believed to be carrying food items, vehicles, authorised weapons and other supplies for the North Korean leader. Kim will meet Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday evening, according to a statement by the ministry of foreign affairs.
President Trump is expected to arrive by around 9 pm Singapore time on Sunday. Trump is coming after a stormy meeting of the G7 countries in Quebec, Canada. After landing at Singapore’s Paya Lebar Airbase, Trump will go to the Shangri-La Hotel, where the American delegation will be staying during the summit. Trump is accompanied by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Trump is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Lee on Monday.
The Shangri-La and St Regis hotels are under tight security and are already designated by the Singapore government as special event areas. The Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island, off the southern coast of Singapore, where the June 12 summit is scheduled to be held, is also classified as a special event area.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee said the summit would cost the country approximately 20 million Singapore dollars, of which half would be spent on security alone. He was speaking to journalists from across the world after inaugurating the International Media Centre set up for journalists who had assembled to cover the summit. More than 3,000 journalists have arrived in Singapore to cover the summit.
“From our point of view, it's important that the meeting take place, and that the meeting sets developments on a new trajectory―one that will be conducive to the security and stability of the region,” said the prime minister.
Lee said he considered it Singapore's contribution to an international endeavour which was in the country’s profound interest.
“When the two sides asked us to host the meeting, we cannot say no. We have to step up... we can do a good job,” said Lee. “It gives us publicity. The fact that we have been chosen as the site of the meeting. We did not ask for it, but we were asked and we agreed. It says something about Singapore's relations with the parties, with America, with North Korea, also our standing in the international community.”