Singapore creates 'special zone' for Trump-Kim talks
June 5, 2018
Preparations for a planned June 12 summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are in full swing in Singapore. On Tuesday, the wealthy city-state announced that the historic meeting would be held on the southern resort island of Sentosa, home to several high-end hotels, a casino, golf courses and a Universal Studios theme park.
The Singaporean government declared Sentosa a "special zone" under the Public Order Act. In its online gazette, authorities said the summit zone included Sentosa and a 1-kilometer sea area off Singapore's southern shore.
There has been no formal confirmation about where exactly the Kim-Trump talks will take place but a smaller area in the center of the island has been mentioned as a possible venue for the meeting.
Read more: North Korea shakes up military top brass ahead of Trump meeting
Strict checks
Under the Public Order Act, Singaporean police have been given additional powers to search personal belongings and venues. Loud speakers, banners and flags will not permitted in the area, nor will drones be allowed to be flown.
After canceling the meeting last month, US President Donald Trump said Friday that a summit between North Korea and the US will in fact be held on June 12 as originally planned. The announcement came after Kim Yong Chol, North Korea's former intelligence chief, hand delivered a personal letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to Trump.
Although definitions over the term differ, Trump said he believed Kim wanted to "denuclearize" and that a relationship between North Korea and the US would start on June 12, adding: "The relationships are building and that's a positive thing."
Read more: Is Trump's Korea policy calculated chaos?
js,shs/kms (Reuters, dpa)