Bizarre moment terrified-looking aide sprints down red carpet after missing cue and leaving Kim Jong Un unaccompanied on exit from bullet-proof train in Hanoi for second nuclear summit with Trump
- King Jong Un stepped out onto a red carpet after arriving in Hanoi on Monday
- The North Korean leader embarked on a 2,800 train journey from Pyongyang
- He becomes the first leader of the socialist state to visit Vietnam since 1964
- His motorcade included an armored personnel carrier with mounted gun turret
- An attendant rushed to be by his side after failing to accompany Kim
- Dozens of guards scurried after him as he reached his final destination
- President Trump boarded Air Force One on Monday afternoon after a speech
- Trump was upbeat and positive, tweeting he’s looking forward to the summit
- Kim and Trump met in 2018, which ended in a stalemate over denuclearization
- They will again sit down in Hanoi this week as diplomatic negotiations continue
- Trump and Kim are set to have dinner Wednesday evening
Kim Jong Un crossed into Vietnam with fanfare and a red carpet Tuesday – as an attendant scurried looking like his life depended on it to catch up to be by the absolute leader’s side.
The North Korean dictator later drove to Hanoi after a 2,800 mile train journey, accompanied by dozens of security guards who sprinted to surround him as he entered the Hotel where he will stay until his summit with President Trump.
Included in his lengthy motorcade that snaked its way through the Vietnamese capital was an armored vehicle complete with a mounted gun turret on top. It later parked itself around the corner from Kim’s hotel, while locals on scooters made their way through the city’s packed streets.
As he reached his final destination, Kim’s team of protective agents jumped out of a line of black SUVs to enter Kim’s hotel. They could be seen riding with vehicle doors open, then rushing to the heavily-guarded leader.
ALL ALONE: Kim Jong Un arrives in Vietnam after a marathon train journey from North Korea without anyone by his side
HIT IT! An attendant sprints down the red carpet to accompany the North Korean dictator
People hold the national flags of North Korea, US, and Vietnam as they wait for the motorcade in Hanoi
Vietnamese military and police blocked off streets for hours before his arrival, with onlookers bearing Vietnamese, U.S., and North Korean flags waiting to catch a glimpse of the leader of the hermetic nation.
Kim’s arrival turned out to be inconvenient for traveling American media, who had been preparing to make use of a media file set up by the White House travel office, who had spent days organizing it – even setting up a podium for potential press briefings with four American flags. The entire location was scrapped, at least temporarily, with Kim’s arrival.
It turned out that Kim had booked the same hotel that was to have been used as a base of operations for reporters who cover the White House.
Vietnam’s ministry of foreign affairs tweeted: ‘The American Media Center will be relocated’ from the hotel where Kim was staying to an International Media Center.
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Tweeted CNN’s Jim Acosta in response: ‘Translation: The US press is being booted out of the hotel where we have spent days setting up our workspace.’
The Washington Post quoted a person inside the hotel who witnessed a ‘tense standoff’ between a North Korean official who chewed out Vietnamese security and hotel staff, demanding journalists not take pictures from the lobby.
On Wednesday evening, President Trump is set to hold his first meetings with Kim since their June summit in Singapore.
They are scheduled to have a brief one-on-one greeting, followed by a dinner, where Trump will be joined by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney. Kim is expected to be accompanied by Kim Yung Chol, the general and senior leader who delivered a letter to Trump from Kim, as well as by another associate.
Translators also will be there.
Arrival in Hanoi: Kim’s motorcade rolls up after the journey from Dong Dang, where he had traveled by train
The American and North Korean flags are waved in front of Kim’s motorcade as the North Korean dictator arrives in Hanoi
Vietnamese policemen escort North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s motorcade in Hanoi on Tuesday ahead of the summit
An armored vehicle equipped with a gun turret was part of Kim Jong Un’s security package. It parked itself near a hotel where Kim is staying for the summit
North Korean bodyguards run along a limousine transporting North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un upon his arrival at the border town with China in Dong Dang, Vietnam
Outriders escort a limousine transporting North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un past the Opera House in Hanoi
An armored police vehicle drives behind North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s motorcade in Hanoi today
The motorcade of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un travels enroute to his hotel
Trump took off for Hanoi Monday facing new pressure to demonstrate he can secure concrete pledges from Kim Jong-un after repeatedly gushing about the riches that await if the North Korean dictator backs away from his nuclear weapons program.
Trump’s previous summit with Kim, held in Singapore in June, resulted in a vague joint statement that critics blasted for lacking specific measurable stapes – it pledged the two sides would ‘work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.’
Trump set an optimistic tone on Twitter as prepared to head east: ‘Meeting for breakfast with our Nation’s Governors – then off to Vietnam for a very important Summit with Kim Jong Un. With complete Denuclearization, North Korea will rapidly become an Economic Powerhouse. Without it, just more of the same. Chairman Kim will make a wise decision!’ Trump wrote.
He also mocked his critics – including security experts who have raised alarms Trump will make concessions on the diplomatic front without requiring much of substance of Kim in return other than the continued cessation of missile launches.
Kim Jong Un crossed into Vietnam on Tuesday after a 2,800 mile journey from Pyongyang on his olive-green train
The iconic train had previously been used by Kim Jong Il before his death. It’s bulletproof and has an average speed of 37 mph
His journey from Pyongyang was shrouded in secrecy but numerous sightings of the train were made over the past few days
Schoolchildren waving North Korean flags and a military guard of honor greeted Kim as he stepped onto the platform, draped in a red carpet
Hundreds of onlookers and Vietnamese soldiers lined a pathway for Kim on Monday
The 35-year-old wound down his window to wave at the thousands gathered outside as he headed to Hanoi
North Korean bodyguards run along a limousine transporting North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un upon his arrival at the border town with China in Dong Dan
North Korean security escorting a car carrying Kim Jong-Un at Dong Dang railway station near the border with China
‘So funny to watch people who have failed for years, they got NOTHING, telling me how to negotiate with North Korea. But thanks anyway!’ Trump tweeted Sunday.
A senior administration official acknowledged as recently as Friday the two sides had yet to agree on what denuclearization even means.
Kim arrived in Vietnam after train journey that took him through China ahead of his second historic showdown with President Trump.
His bulletproof olive green train pulled into the Vietnamese station of Dong Dang following a two-and-a-half-day secrecy-shrouded odyssey from Pyongyang.
Schoolchildren waving North Korean flags and a military guard of honor greeted Kim as he stepped from his carriage onto the red carpet-draped platform.
The 35-year-old is the first North Korean leader to visit Vietnam since his grandfather Kim Il Sung in 1964.
Security around the station was extremely prevalent, as armed guard and soldiers surrounded the area
People wait for the motorcade with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ahead of the US-North Korea summit in Hanoi
Kim’s arrival brought out the young and old, with this child carrying the North Korean and American flags
Vietnamese authorities blocked off streets and roped off pedestrians to allow for Kim’s arrival in Hanoi
An armored vehicle accompanied the motorcade
This scooter is outfitted with the U.S., Vietnamese, and North Korean flags
A Vietnamese soldier stands guard at a street in Hanoi ahead of the second U.S.-North Korea summit
Security across the Vietnamese city is fervent, with legions of armed soldiers and police surrounding the train station.
Kim emerged from the train station doors issuing the cheering crowd a beaming smile and a series of waves, before being shepherded into a black limousine.
A 170 km stretch of highway has been completely closed off by authorities, which Kim and his entourage will travel on to get to Hanoi for Wednesday’s meeting.
An entourage secret service agents jogged alongside the dictator’s black-out car as it set off on its two hour journey.
President Trump opted for a more conventional means of travel as he boarded Air Force one on Monday afternoon. He’s expected to arrive late on Tuesday.
Before his departure, the President offered an optimistic tune regarding the week ahead.
‘I think we could have a very good summit,’ he told the nation’s governors during their meeting at the White House on Monday morning. ‘I think we’ll have a very tremendous summit. We want denuclearization, and I think he’ll have a country that will set a lot of records for speed in terms of an economy.’
He also tweeted from inside the presidential plane that he was looking forward to a ‘productive’ meeting with Kim.
President Trump jetted off to Vietnam for what he predicted will be a ‘very productive summit’ with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
Air Force One touched down in Mildenhall, England on Monday evening for a refueling stop. Sarah Sanders posed for a photo with US military personal stationed at the base
The President touched down in Mildenhall, England late Monday night to refuel at a Royal Air Force Base.
Trump’s press secretary Sarah Sanders posed for a photo in front of Air Force One with a large contingent of US military personnel stationed at the Suffolk base.
‘Got off AF1 for a refuel stop at RAF Mildenhall. Thankful for the amazing men and women in our military,’ his Instagram caption read.
He still has another 12 hours left on his journey and will likely land in Hanoi at 7pm local time on Tuesday.
24 hours earlier, Trump hosted the Governor’s Ball in the White House’s State Dining Room where he sought to cool expectation ahead of the summit.
‘What’s going to happen, I can’t tell you,’ Trump teased.
‘I’m not in a rush, I don’t want to rush anybody, I just don’t want testing.
‘As long as there’s no testing, we’re happy.’
The president has been promoting denuclearization – expected to be the main topic on the agenda of his sit down with Kim – as a way for North Korea to become an ‘Economic Powerhouse.’
‘Chairman Kim realizes, perhaps better than anyone else, that without nuclear weapons, his country could fast become one of the great economic powers anywhere in the world,’ Trump tweeted on Sunday.
‘Because of its location and people (and him), it has more potential for rapid growth than any other nation.’
President Trump touted the economic benefits of denuclearization as he prepares to jet off to Vietnam for his second summit with Kim Jong Un
President Trump and Kim will meet on Wednesday and Thursday in Hanoi, Vietnam as they sit down for the second time to discuss nuclear disarmament and the possibility of the US lifting sanctions on North Korea
The summit wasn’t the only thing on the President’s mind during the flight. He tweet in angst against the democrats blocking a late-term abortion bill in the Senate
Trump’s enthusiasm is in contrast to his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said Sunday there may have to be a third summit because Trump and Kim ‘may not get everything done this week.’
‘There may have to be another summit,’ he said on ‘Fox News Sunday. ‘We may not get everything done this week. We hope we’ll make a substantial step along the way.’
While President Trump tweeted about the possibility of denuclearization on Sunday, his secretary of state offered a more measured set of expectations for the second meeting between the two leaders this week in Hanoi, Vietnam.
‘The U.N. Security Council has demanded, not the United States, but the U.N. Security Council has demanded that Chairman Kim give up these weapons systems. It’s in the best interest of his country and I hope we can make a real substantive step forward this week. It may not happen but I hope that it will,’ Pompeo said.
President Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un, seen here at their first summit in Singapore in July
Kim Jong Un’s mammoth journey from Pyongyang to Hanoi took a staggering two-and-a-half days
Trump and Kim will meet Wednesday and Thursday in Hanoi. Kim left for their summit via train while Trump flies out Monday.
On the agenda is denuclearization.
Washington is looking for concrete steps from North Korean that progress has been made on that front after Kim pledged to eliminate his country’s nuclear weapons’ program at his and Trump’s first summit in Singapore last summer.
Trump said last week that North Korea must do ‘something that’s meaningful’ on denuclearization before he would consider lifting economic sanctions.
North Korea has pushed for those sanctions to be reduced before it makes major changes to its nuclear program.
But Pompeo cautioned real progress on denuclearization could take time.
Mike Pompeo arrived shortly after Kim. In interviews this week, the Secretary of State appeared less enthusiastic than Trump in his expectations for the summit
He told Fox News there might be another summit because Trump ‘may not get everything done this week’
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‘We have always known this would take time and it would be a step forward, and slower than the world has demanded, right? This is a U.N. Security Council resolution that we’re attempting to achieve by getting North Korea fully denuclearized,’ he said Sunday on CNN’s ‘State of the Union.’
‘I’m hopeful that, when President Trump and Chairman Kim get together, they will make a big step towards realizing what Chairman Kim promised. He promised he would denuclearize. We hope he will make a big step towards that in the week ahead,’ he added.
He declined to get into the specifics of what the U.S. wanted from Pyongyang.
‘There are many things he could do to demonstrate his commitment to denuclearization. Our negotiating team was on the ground the last three days. And they will be on the ground again today. I will be there tomorrow to continue these discussion,’ Pompeo said.
‘I don’t want to get into the details of what’s being proposed, what the offers and counteroffers may be. But a real step, a demonstrable, verifiable step is something that I know President Trump is very focused on achieving,’ he added.
CNN anchor Jake Tapper also called out Pompeo for contradicting President Trump on whether or not North Korea remains a nuclear threat.
‘Do you think North Korea remains a nuclear threat?,’ Tapper asked Pompeo when the secretary of state appeared on ‘State of the Union.
‘Yes,’ Pompeo responded.
‘But the president said he doesn’t,’ Tapper pointed out.
CNN anchor Jake Tapper also called out Pompeo for contradicting President Trump on whether or not North Korea remains a nuclear threat
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After his first summit with Kim in Singapore, Trump claimed ‘there is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea.’
‘Just landed – a long trip, but everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office,’ Trump tweeted last June. ‘There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future!’
Pompeo took issue with Tapper’s characterization of Trump’s remarks.
‘That’s not what he said,’ Pompeo noted.
‘He tweeted: ‘There’s no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea,” Tapper said in response.
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‘What he said was that the efforts that had been made in Singapore, this commitment that Chairman Kim, may have substantially taken down the risk to the American people. It’s the mission of the secretary of state and the president of the United States to keep the American people secure. We’re aiming to achieve that,’ Pompeo argued.
‘OK. I mean, that’s just a direct quote, but I want to move on,’ Tapper said.
Harry Kazianis of the Center for the National Interest said Trump and Kim need to take ‘at least one step forward on denuclearisation’ in Hanoi.
‘Nothing would be worse than for either side to come out of the meeting as if it was a waste of time,’ he said.
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