Trump, Kim to hold historic meeting on Sentosa Island

The summit between US President Donald Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un will take place on Singapore’s resort island of Sentosa, the White House said.

“The venue for the Singapore summit between @POTUS and Leader Kim Jong Un will be the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island. We thank our great Singaporean hosts for their hospitality,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted on Tuesday.

The June 12 meeting will be the first between sitting leaders of each country.

Sentosa is home to palm-fringed beaches, casinos, tourist sites and some of the best golf courses in Asia.

It also houses the luxurious Capella hotel, which — at a distance from centers of population — can be more easily secured.

Sources familiar with the arrangements said American diplomats had picked the island resort, which is connected to the Singapore main island by a single causeway that can be easily closed off to traffic. It is also home to some of the city-state’s richest residents with waterfront villas costing up to S$39 million (US$29 million).

Singapore authorities on Tuesday marked out a part of the island surrounding the Capella hotel a special security zone on the days around the June 12 summit.

According to a posting on the government gazette, weapons, flares, loud hailers, sound systems and banners will be banned in the special zone, with police allowed to conduct body searches on those entering the area. Drones are also not allowed.

Set on lush, manicured greenery, the Capella’s 112 rooms and villas were built in restored colonial buildings that once included an officers mess for the British army.

Designed by British architect Norman Foster, it has played host to A-listers like queen of pop Madonna and Lady Gaga when they stopped over in the city-state on tour.

Basic rooms start at S$663, with the opulent three-bedroom colonial manor going for S$10,000 for a night’s stay. 

The entire hotel has been booked out in the period leading up to the summit.

Meanwhile, Singapore’s foreign minister will make a two-day trip to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea starting today, as preparations for the summit accelerate.

Vivian Balakrishnan will pay the official visit to Pyongyang at the invitation of DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, Singapore’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Singapore airspace will be restricted during the summit next week, according to a notice to airmen posted by aviation authorities yesterday, which is likely to result in delays at one of Asia’s busiest airports.

The notice, published on the websites of the International Civil Aviation Organization and the US Federal Aviation Administration, said airspace over Singapore will be temporarily restricted for parts of June 11, 12 and 13.

Travelers are advised to expect delays for flights arriving at and departing from Singapore during this period.