09 May 2018
- RSIS
- Media Mentions
- Trump-Kim Summit Likely in Mid-June if Held in Singapore
Trump-Kim Summit Likely in Mid-June if Held in Singapore
Singapore has apparently edged out the truce village of Panmunjom, where Mr Kim met South Korean President Moon Jae In on April 27, as the more likely candidate for the talks, South Korean media reported in the past few days, citing informed sources.
Dr Graham Ong-Webb of Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies told The Straits Times that a mid-June summit is more feasible, all things considered.
“If Singapore wishes to capitalise on the security infrastructure of the Shangri-La Dialogue, then June 4-6 is possible, but then President Trump runs right into the G-7 meeting after, which is hectic,” he said.
Analysts also noted the edge that Singapore has over Panmunjom as a summit site, given its neutrality.
Dr Ong-Webb said: “Panmunjom has just been used for the Moon-Kim summit, and using it again over-embellishes the historical and local character of this conflict.”
He added that Singapore serves to highlight the global stakes of the conflict – if Mr Kim is willing to leave his comfort zone and travel 5,000km to Singapore for talks, it is a strong sign of commitment to a resolution.
IDSS / GPO / Print / Online
