US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shook hands on Tuesday at a historic summit in Singapore,
The two men clasped hands beneath the white-washed walls of an upscale hotel in neutral Singapore, before sitting down for a half-day of meetings with major ramifications for the region and the world.
The pair shook hands for several seconds, Trump reaching out to touch the North Korean leader on his right shoulder.
As they sat down for their tete-a-tete, the US leader -- who had said he would know "within the first minute" if a deal would be possible -- predicted a "terrific relationship" with Kim.
For his part, the North's leader made a reference to the two countries' history of war and acrimony, but noted the fact of their meeting showed they could overcome the past.
Sitting across from Trump at a small side table, Kim told the US president through a translator: "It was not easy to get here."
"The past worked as fetters on our limbs and the old prejudices and practices worked as obstacles on our way forward," he went on, his listener looking him in the eye and nodding. "But we overcame all of them and we are here today."
Trump responded: "That's true" before another handshake -- smiling this time -- and a thumbs-up from the US president.
The imagery for the high-stakes meeting was undoubtedly positive and Kim Yong-hyun, professor at Dongguk University in Seoul said: "The atmosphere of the summit looks very good."
"It will be hard for this meeting to agree on specific deals but it carries considerable significance as a starting point," he said.
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.
After initial exchanges lasting around 40 minutes, Trump and Kim emerged, walking side-by-side through the colonnaded hotel before entering a meeting room, where they were joined by their most senior officials.
Kim was heard telling Trump through a translator: “I think the entire world is watching this moment. Many people in the world will think of this as a scene from a fantasy...science fiction movie.”
Asked by a reporter how the meeting was going, Trump said: “Very good. Very, very good. Good relationship.”
Kim also sounded positive about the prospects.
“We overcame all kinds of skepticism and speculations about this summit and I believe that this is good for the peace,” he said. “I believe this is a good prelude for peace.”
Trump was joined by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton, and John Kelly, White House Chief of Staff, for the expanded talks, while Kim’s team included former military intelligence chief Kim Yong Chol, foreign minister Ri Yong Ho and Ri Su Yong, vice chairman of the ruling Workers’ Party.
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.
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.
After the meetings, the two teams met for a working lunch, where beef short ribs, sweet and sour pork and “Daegu Jormin”, or Korean braised cod, were served for the main course, according to the menu. That was to be followed by dark chocolate tarts, pastries and vanilla ice cream for dessert.
The Singapore summit is a potentially legacy-defining meeting for both men -- comparable to president Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China, or Ronald Reagan's 1986 summit with Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik.
And it is part of what Trump calls a "one-time" offer to resolve the stand-off through diplomacy.
Many agreements have been made in the past with North Korea that have later fallen apart.
On the table is the vexed question of denuclearization -- a word that means vastly different things to the two parties.
It remains far from clear that Pyongyang is willing to give up its nukes -— weapons that the regime sees as its ultimate guarantee of survival.
The totalitarian regime has made rapid progress towards marrying nuclear and missile technology that would put Los Angeles, New York and Washington within striking distance of a nuclear weapon.
The United States says that is unacceptable and will be dealt with, one way or another.
For North Korea the talks are hugely significant and the image of Kim and Trump standing before the flags of both countries is an enormous step towards ending decades of international isolation.
