President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un picked a posh vacation resort on an island off Singapore’s mainland for their historic summit next week.
They will meet at the five-star Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island off Singapore’s southern coast, the White House announced Tuesday.
As they sit down to negotiate the denuclearization of North Korea, the two leaders will be surrounded by 30 acres of lush tropical rainforest dotted with secluded villas and private plunge pools, just minutes away from the world-class Sentosa Golf Club.
“We thank our great Singaporean hosts for their hospitality,” tweeted White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders when announcing the summit venue.
The summit, a precedent-shattering meeting of a U.S. and North Korean leader to discuss Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal and the future of relations on the divided and heavily armed Korean peninsula, is scheduled to begin Tuesday at 9 a.m.
“Looks like it’s moving along very well,” Mr. Trump said of the pre-summit negotiations. “It’ll be a very important couple of days.”
Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim will be looking for inspiration from the island’s name, which means “peace” and “tranquility” in Malay — not the former name Pulau Belakang Mati that translates as “Island of Death from Behind.” The old name, before the island’s 1972 makeover as a tourist destination, was derived from its days as pirate hideaway.
Amid reports of tension between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has spearheaded the pre-summit diplomacy, and hawkish National Security Adviser John R. Bolton, Mr. Trump is getting daily briefings by his national security team in preparation for the sit-down with Mr. Kim. The president met Tuesday in the Oval Office with Mr. Pompeo. Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Bolton met separately Tuesday with visiting Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
Mr. Trump still faces a number of momentous questions in his quest for the complete and permanent end to North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, including the structure and timing of any deal; verification and human rights issues; the impact on the U.S.-South Korean defense alliance; the interests of China, Japan and other players in the region; and what economic and security sweeteners the U.S. will be prepared to get Mr. Kim to strike a deal.
Defense Secretary James N. Mattis said this week the removal of some 28,000 U.S. troops based in South Korea — believed to be a top priority for the North — “isn’t even on the table.” The North Korean government and many top figures in the regime also face strict international sanctions that may have to be unwound.
Meanwhile, the Singapore government extended a special security zone for the summit to include the roughly 2-square-mile island and about a half-mile of sea surrounding the island. The security zone, which will be in effect from Sunday through Thursday, also includes the city center that is home to the U.S. Embassy and several top hotels.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim are expected to stay to two separate hotels on the mainland and meet at the Capella Hotel for the summit.
The choice of Sentosa Island bucked expectations that Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim would huddle at the Shangri-La Hotel that regularly hosts high-level political gatherings.
The Shangri-La was the backdrop for the landmark talks in 2015 between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan’s then-president, Ma Ying-jeou. It also hosts the annual Asia-Pacific security conference that has brought leaders from 28 countries to Singapore since 2002.
However, the Capella Hotel puts the summit in a luxurious setting and one that is easily locked down.
The only access points to the island from the mainland are a half-mile long causeway and a cable car.
A glitzy tourist destination, the island boasts 1.25 miles of beaches, two golf courses and Universal Studios Singapore.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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