news

5 strange facts about Kim Jong-Un and Donald Trump's meeting in Singapore today.

It’s happening. The will-they-won’t-they meeting of the century is beginning in Singapore as US president Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un at 11am AEST.

It’s the first official meeting between the heads of the two countries, and it will not be any ordinary encounter. Here are some of the strange facts we’ve learned about the summit.

1. Kim Jong-Un has brought his own toilet

Kim Jong Un reportedly brought his own toilet to Singapore. We aren’t kidding.

The secretive and paranoid North Korean leader doesn’t want to leave waste behind, fearing it could be studied to learn information about him.

South Korean news sites have reported this is standard practice for the 34-year-old. In April he brought his portable toilet to a meeting at the border with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

2. A former US pro-basketballer is there

Retired American professional basketballer Dennis Rodman arrived at Singapore’s airport yesterday ahead of the summit and was flocked by reporters – which might have you wondering what an ex-NBA player has to do with anything.

Well, Rodman is actually a friend of Kim Jong-Un’s. Again, we’re not kidding.

The former baller is just one of a handful of Americans who have visited North Korea and met Kim, which he first did during a trip with the Harlem Globetrotters in 2013.

dennis-rodman
Image: Getty
ADVERTISEMENT

Since then the pair have formed a friendship, with Rodman returning several times, once organising a basketball game there and also singing 'Happy Birthday' to Kim.

The 57-year-old is not in Singapore with any official capacity, the White House has insisted. Instead, his trip has been sponsored by potcoin.com, the crypto-currency provider for the legal marijuana industry.

Rodman told reporters at Changi airport that he came to Singapore "to see what's going on" and that he hopes "that things turn out to be well for everyone in the world".

ADVERTISEMENT

He also said that he may not even see the North Korean leader on this trip.

3. Trump and Kim - and their translators - will be the only people in the room

When Trump and Kim shake hands in front of media it will be an historical moment, but what will follow is an unusual style of meeting.

Instead of going into a boardroom flanked by their various advisors, the two leaders will meet alone, accompanied by no one except their translators for an hour.

Given neither leader has a great track record with truth-telling, experts predict some frustrating "he-said-she-said" discrepancies to follow in their statements on how the meeting went.

Thankfully that one-on-one will be followed by a meeting with top officials from both countries and a working lunch.

4. Donald Trump will leave early

Before he even met Kim, Trump announced nuclear negotiations had "moved more quickly than expected", so instead of staying overnight Tuesday, he'll be leaving the city tonight.

We can expect a media briefing before he boards a jet to fly back to the US.

ADVERTISEMENT

5. Kim Jong-Un seems optimistic the meeting will go well

The incredibly sheltered people of North Korea don't learn about world events until their state media informs them - and normally their leader would wait until after a meeting to tell his citizens about it.

This time though, North Koreans have already learned about the meeting through a report delivered by North Korean news anchor Ri Chun Hee.

"The historic first meeting and talks between the respected and beloved Comrade Supreme Leader and Donald Trump, President of the United States of America, will be held on the morning of June 12 in the Republic of Singapore," she said.

The population were also told the summit was "garnering the attention and hopes of the entire world".