Trump-Kim Singapore Summit LIVE: Human Rights on Backburner as 60-Year-Old ‘Big Problem’ Hogs Spotlight

The dollar jumped to a 3-week top on Tuesday while stock markets in Asia were choppy as an historic US-North Korea summit got underway in Singapore, raising some hopes it could pave the way to ending a nuclear stand-off on the Korean peninsula. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un smiled for cameras after 41-minutes of one-on-one talks, just months after they traded insults and tensions spiralled in the region over the latter's nuclear programmes. Yet, there was some unease among investors about the outcome of the talks given the tense relations between the two nations. The combatants of the 1950-53 Korean War are technically still at war, as the conflict, in which millions of people died, was concluded only with a truce.

Donald Trump did most of the talking, and Kim Jong Un appeared to listen attentively, turning to him three times during their walk toward their meeting room. But he also patted the US president' arm, in an attempt to show control over the encounter. The US President, who is more than twice Kim's age, then appeared to lead the way to the library where they held a one-on-one meeting, placing his hand on the North Korean leader's counterpart's back. However, Karen Leong said both found it difficult to conceal their nervousness once they were seated, with Trump displaying a slanted smile, and fidgeting with his hands and Kim leaning and staring at the ground.

In their first moments of meeting each other, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un both sought to project a sense of command as they began a historic summit in Singapore, according to a body language expert. Karen Leong, Managing Director of Singapore-headquartered Influence Solutions, said the first 60 seconds showed both leaders seeking to take charge in their encounter. "Their handshake seems to be between peers," she said. "Trump seemed to be very aware of this, that he needed to up the stakes and be seen that he is the leader.”

During a quarter-century of on-off negotiations, human rights have played second fiddle for US administrations seeking to ameliorate the threat posed by the North's nukes, and there's a reason. Raising human rights risks playing into North Korean suspicions that the US is intent on toppling its hereditary, totalitarian regime by seeking to open its political system, which only reinforces Pyongyang's notion that it needs a nuclear deterrent to ensure its survival. Joseph Yun, former US envoy for North Korea policy, alluded to that when he told a Senate hearing last week that there's a risk of "overloading the agenda" for the summit. He said if the US is going to offer North Korea the security guarantees it seeks in return for denuclearization, it "also means you're not going to interfere in domestic happenings, domestic politics" — like human rights.

Kim Jong Un, meanwhile, will be granted a measure of validation from Washington that eluded his father and grandfather. They only ever met with former US presidents, a symptom of six decades of hostility between the U.S. and North Korea, which remains a pariah in the eyes of the West not just for its nuclear and missile threats but for flouting international norms of diplomatic behaviour. Human-rights advocates who lauded Trump when he hosted eight North Korean defectors at the White House days after his State of the Union speech are now uneasy about his engagement with Kim, whom the president recently praised as "very honourable."

US presidents have always faced a predicament in balancing national security and geopolitical priorities with democratic values. But Trump has notably avoided calling out authoritarian leaders on human rights when he wants closer ties with them, whether it's adversaries like China and Russia or allies like Saudi Arabia and the Philippines. At the same time, he's taken a confrontational path toward Western allies on issues like trade, climate and the Iran nuclear deal. He bounced to the Singapore summit after a tempestuous G-7 summit where the U.S. was isolated from its key European partners as never before and Trump even derided his Canadian host, a paragon of liberal democracy, as "dishonest" and "weak."

Robert King, who served as US envoy on North Korean human-rights issues under the Obama administration, said Donald Trump has used human rights as an instrument to get Kim Jong Un to negotiate on nuclear weapons, but not as a policy priority in its own right. "The other problem is that he's anxious to see some progress at the summit, and human rights is not an easy issue to raise with Kim Jong Un," King said.

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman says he received a call from the White House ahead of President Donald Trump's historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Rodman told CNN from Singapore on Tuesday that a White House staffer called the former "Celebrity Apprentice" contestant to tell him the president was proud of him. Rodman struck up an unlikely friendship with Kim over their shared love of basketball, but he says former President Barack Obama never took him seriously. Rodman described Kim as a "big kid" who wants to see the world. The former basketball player was very emotional in the interview, openly weeping as he spoke. Rodman is in town for the summit, but the White House had said he will play no official role.

While Donald Trump highlighted Pyongyang's problematic human rights record in January during his State of the Union address — where he also said the "depraved character of the North Korean regime" demonstrated the nature of the nuclear threat it could pose — the president has skirted those concerns since agreeing in March to Kim's suggestion of a summit. When Trump met former North Korean military intelligence chief Kim Yong Chol at the White House two weeks ago, the president said they didn't discuss human rights, underscoring that it was not a primary concern. At a pre-summit briefing by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday, the issue didn't get a mention.

US President Donald Trump said it himself to Congress and the American people: "No regime has oppressed its own citizens more totally or brutally than the cruel dictatorship in North Korea." But when it comes to human rights, don't expect Trump to hold Kim Jong Un's feet to the fire at the Singapore summit. The focus is on nuclear weapons, and the young autocrat's international standing is likely to be boosted regardless of the outcome. In the run-up to Tuesday's historic face-to-face with Kim, Trump has appeared unconcerned about the implications of feting an authoritarian leader suspected of ordering the public assassination of his half brother with a nerve agent, executing his uncle by firing squad and presiding over a notorious gulag estimated to hold 80,000 to 120,000 political prisoners.

While Trump and Kim search each other’s eyes and words for signs of trust or deceit, the rest of the world will be watching, hoping that somehow these two unpredictable leaders can find a way to defuse one of the planet's most dangerous flashpoints. A body language expert said both men tried to project command as they met, but also displayed signs of nerves. In the hours before the summit began, Trump expressed optimism about prospects for the first-ever meeting of sitting US and North Korean leaders, while Pompeo injected a note of caution whether Kim would prove to be sincere about his willingness to denuclearise.

As the two leaders met, Singapore navy vessels, and air force Apache helicopters patrolled, while fighter jets and an Gulfstream 550 early warning aircraft circled. Financial markets were largely steady in Asia and did not show any noticeable reaction to the start of the summit. The dollar was at a three-week high and the MSCI index of Asia-Pacific shares was largely unchanged from Monday.

President Donald Trump is predicting that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will have “a terrific relationship” as they meet face to face for the first time. Trump said Tuesday after meeting Kim that he’s feeling “really great.” He says, “We’re going to have a great discussion and a terrific relationship.” Kim says through an interpreter that it “was not easy to get here” and that there “were obstacles but we overcame them to be here.” The two men are expected to meet on their own for the better part of an hour, with only a pair of interpreters in the room. That decision has raised concerns about the risk of holding such a monumental meeting with barely anyone to bear witness.

BREAKING: Trump predicts that he and Kim Jong Un 'will solve a big problem, a big dilemma'

— The Associated Press (@AP) June 12, 2018

Much attention will be on Kim Jong Un at his historic summit Tuesday with President Donald Trump. But the 34-year-old North Korean leader also brought a group of trusted lieutenants to Singapore, with at least four high-powered women including his own sister.

Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un are locked away for the “expanded bilateral” portion of today’s talks, which run until 11:30am local time. Unlike their first talk of the day, at which just Trump, Kim and their interpreters were present, at this talk the leaders are accompanied by their key advisors. Benjamin Haas and Julian Borger have this handy guide to who is in the room.

US President Donald Trump says that his one-on-one meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was "very, very good" and that the two have an "excellent relationship." Trump and Kim met for about 40 minutes one-on-one, joined only by interpreters. Trump made the comments as he and Kim walked together along balcony as they headed to a larger meeting with aides. Trump was flanked in the larger meeting by chief of staff John Kelly, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton. They sat across the table from Kim and his team.

Donald Trump says one-on-one meeting with Kim Jong Un was 'very, very good' and adds that they have an 'excellent relationship'

Former US basketball star Dennis Rodman flew into Singapore late Monday ahead of a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un, playing down expectations of an immediate breakthrough at the historic meeting, which is taking place presently on Sentosa island. Rodman, who has struck up an unlikely friendship with the basketball loving North Korean leader, arrived in the city-state some nine hours before Trump met with Kim in a bid to negotiate an end to a decades-old nuclear stand-off. He said he expected the Trump-Kim summit to "go fairly well" but added "people should not expect too much for the first time".

Dennis Rodman's advice to US President Trump: Go into the meeting with Kim Jong Un with your “heart on the table,” and focus on the future https://t.co/0A3J2NkWqy pic.twitter.com/HFFL5w0E17

— CNN (@CNN) June 12, 2018

Hong Kong stocks edged down slightly in the first few minutes of trade as traders keep an eye on the historic summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un while looking ahead to key central bank policy meetings this week. The Hang Seng Index eased 0.11 percent, or 33.85 points, to 31,029.85. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was barely moved, inching up 0.25 points to 3,053.03, while the Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, was also marginally higher, adding 0.68 points to 1,741.86.

There are reportedly about 1,800 Gurkha officers in Singapore, and they are a regular presence at high-security events. They were seen standing guard at the heavily fortified St Regis Singapore, where Kim arrived on Sunday.

US President Donald Trump may have promised that North Korea will become "very rich" on the back of American investment if Pyongyang ditches nuclear weapons but economists and academics who have studied the isolated country say it is China not the US that will be the engine of any transformation. The nearest template would not be based on American-style capitalism, but China's state-controlled market economy first championed by Deng Xiaoping, who became China's leader in 1978, these experts said. China was just coming out of the turmoil of the 27-year reign of Mao Zedong, a period during which capitalism was banned and private businesses and property were seized by the state and placed under collective ownership.

Kim Jong Un says through an interpreter that it “was not easy to get here” and that there “were obstacles but we overcame them to be here.” The two men are meeting on their own for the better part of an hour, with only a pair of interpreters in the room. That decision has raised concerns about the risk of holding such a monumental meeting with barely anyone to bear witness.

Beyond the impact on both leaders' political fortunes, the summit could shape the fate of countless people — the citizens of impoverished North Korea, the tens of millions living in the shadow of the North's nuclear threat, and millions more worldwide. Or, it could amount to little more than a much-photographed handshake. 

Six top lawmakers from the opposition Democratic party have demanded that any potential deal with North Korea be subject to Congressional oversight. "Regardless of what happens in the hours ahead, the administration must consult with Congress on North Korea. Any potential deal must be subject to Congressional oversight," the Democratic leadership in the US House of Representative said in a joint statement. The Congress, they said, had insisted on robust monitoring under the Iranian nuclear deal and should demand nothing less with regard to North Korea. The Democratic Obama administration then had bypassed the Congress. According to the Democratic lawmakers, the US-North Korea summit is a historic opportunity to build a more secure, stable Korean peninsula and to reassert American leadership in Asia.

A de-nuclearisation deal would be positive for South Korean assets given the possible boost to growth and fading geopolitical risks, analysts at Goldman Sachs said in a note

US President Donald Trump is predicting that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will have "a terrific relationship" as they meet face to face for the first time. Trump said Tuesday after meeting Kim that he's feeling "really great." He says, "We're going to have a great discussion and a terrific relationship." Kim says through an interpreter that it "was not easy to get here" and that there "were obstacles but we overcame them to be here." The two men are expected to meet on their own for the better part of an hour, with only a pair of interpreters in the room. That decision has raised concerns about the risk of holding such a monumental meeting with barely anyone to bear witness.

President Donald Trump ahead of his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un: “I feel really great ... we are gonna have a great discussion and I think, tremendous success” https://t.co/4VsBVdRdJx

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) June 12, 2018

Three weeks ago, the summit seemed doomed. Trump said on May 24 he was scrapping it after threats by North Korea to pull out over what it saw as confrontational remarks by U.S. officials demanding unilateral disarmament. North Korea had earlier criticised U.S. national security adviser John Bolton, who had called for North Korea to quickly give up its nuclear arsenal in a deal that would mirror Libya's abandonment of its programme for weapons of mass destruction. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was deposed and killed by NATO-backed militants in 2011 after halting his nascent nuclear programme and North Korea has long rejected any suggestion of a Libya model. Trump later dismissed the Libya model. Instead his spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, spoke of "the President Trump model".  "He’s going to run this the way he sees fit," Sanders told Fox News.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shake hands ahead of their meeting at Capella Hotel in Singapore on Tuesday.

BREAKING: President Trump and Kim Jong Un just shook hands ahead of their historic summit. It’s the first time leaders of the US and North Korea have met https://t.co/8OX2UblAwL pic.twitter.com/SCzJ9VGdze

— CNN (@CNN) June 12, 2018

A successful summit could also herald momentous changes in the security landscape of northeast Asia, in a similar way to how the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 changed Europe. For China, peace on the Korean peninsula would benefit regional development, especially that of its northeastern rustbelt. While China has broadly supported the summit, it will want to protect its interests. North Korea has always been a useful buffer between China and US forces in South Korea. Japan will also be watching with ambivalence - happy to see the sabre-rattling ending but worried its security might be sacrificed in Trump's rush to neutralise the North Korean threat to the United States.

Trump and Kim could agree on a declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War, the fire in which his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, forged the North Korean state. The war was concluded with a truce, not a peace treaty, but a treaty will also have to include China, which was party to the armistice. The young Kim is reviled as an international pariah over the 2017 murder in Malaysia of his half-brother, and the execution of hundreds of officials, including his uncle, for suspected disloyalty. But he will win legitimacy with the handshake.