North Korea leader Kim Jong Un is committed to attending the second Nuclear Summit in Vietnam and meet with United States President Donald Trump. Mr. Kim was seen on Sunday in Pyongyang, boarding the armored train bound for Hanoi.
Mr. Kim was with his sister Kim Yo Jong and his senior officials. This trip was documented with photographs taken of the North Korean leader at the Pyongyang train station send off. In a rare spontaneous moment, the leader could be seen waving his hand as he stood by the train carriage entrance.
The senior officials traveling with Mr. Kim consist of those North Korean officials who participated in the Singapore talks last year, namely, Ri Yong Ho, the North Korea foreign minister, Mr. Kim Yong Chol, North Korea's premiere envoy to the United States, as well as Ri Su Yong, of the North Korea Worker's Party.
Mr. Kim and his companions on the train ride will later join other members of the North Korean group who have gone ahead to Hanoi, including Chief of Staff Kim Chang Son and Mr. Kim Hyok Chol who is the negotiations point person.
It was noted that this occasion appeared more openly covered, contrary to the customary cloak-and-dagger precautions taken in the past excursions outside of North Korea by Mr. Kim. It was also observed that an earlier announcement of the trip was made openly Saturday, February 23.
The start of the summit is on Wednesday (and will extend until Thursday yet). However, the distance Mr. Kim's trip has to cover through southern China as well as the northern part of Vietnam, all the way to Hanoi would be some 2,800 miles.
The goal of the summit is for better relations between the United States and North Korea, where Mr. Kim is expected to seek less stringent economic sanctions while keeping to a minimum any concessions on the issue of nuclear disarmament.
However, it remains to be seen whether the North Korea leader is willing to let go of his most important bargaining chip for survival, his nuclear arms, in order to bring within his grasp the economic as well as security advantages he seeks.
Meantime, Hanoi is preparing the venue of the summit and the general area surrounding the venue for the meeting between Trump and Kim, and taking security measures as well, closing off areas as well as imposing a ban on vehicles.
