SINGAPORE: Cheers of jubilation broke out at the Korean Association in Singapore when US President Donald Trump met North Korea’s Chairman Kim Jong Un on Tuesday, ahead of their one-on-one talks aimed at denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.
The association had decided to air the Trump-Kim summit live so that South Koreans in Singapore could witness the unprecedented event together — the first time a serving American president was meeting the leader of their long-time foe, North Korea.
Trump and Kim eventually emerged from the historic meeting after agreeing to the “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” which the US President said would lead “very, very quickly” to the denuclearization process.
The atmosphere at the Korean Association was upbeat as about 40 South Koreans took time off work to share history in the making. For many, peace on the peninsula appeared a little closer to reality. They practised cheers in Korean, their fists pumping the air, as they urged one another to continue “fighting” — a common word used in South Korean lingo which means “press on.”
The chairman of the Korean Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, Bong Se Jong, had “very, very high expectations” for the summit. He was sure it would be a success.
“The world is watching this historic summit — now is time to solve the problem after almost 70 years,” he told Arab News.
Reunification appeared to be on the minds of many South Koreans there who donned T-shirts with the words: “Make Korea one again.” President Trump is seen on the T-shirt with two thumbs up, pointing to South Korean president Moon Jae-in to his right and the North’s once-reclusive leader Kim to his left.
“We are very happy to be part of this historical event,” said Noh Chong Hyun, the association’s chairman.
“We hope the summit will produce a promising outcome. Personally, I hope that Kim Jong Un agrees to denuclearization.”
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had tweeted earlier: “Denuclearization isn’t something that ends badly for the North Koreans. In fact, it’s just the opposite — it leads to a brighter, better future for #DPRK,” he said referring to the formal name of North Korea.
“There are several parts to denuclearization,” explained Shawn Ho, an associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, who is an expert on Korean Peninsula affairs.
“One way is to get rid of the immediate threats. That means removing all the nuclear weapons out of North Korea,” he told Arab News.
Another way is to approach it with a long-term view, which one well-known American expert estimates could take up to 15 years, according to Ho.
“It’s not like switching off the lights, it’s a complicated dismantling denuclearization process,” said Ho. It will involve checking all the nuclear facilities, dismantling the whole program, and making sure there is nothing in North Korea that is not declared, or declared but not checked.
Asked how long he was willing to wait for peace, Bong, the chairman of the Korean Chamber of Commerce, said: “I can wait. We don’t want war. We don’t want war with anybody.”
But Bong, who has lived in Singapore for 31 years, was disappointed that South Korea was not included in the talks.
“Actually, we are not happy. Our President Moon, he wanted to host it, but unfortunately, we did not,” said the 61-year-old, who is also the owner of a shipping company.
Still, he firmly believes Singapore is a good location for the talks.
“Singapore has worldwide recognition, that’s why the summit is here. It’s quite neutral, and also has infrastructure, security. Everything is world-class,” he said.
South Korean Choi Nam Sook, who was one of the organizers of the event, said the moment the two men shook hands was to her “a symbol of peace for the whole Korean Peninsula, as well as peace for the whole wide world.”
