Panmunjeom not Trump

By Kim Rahn

United States President Donald Trump has ruled out the truce village of Panmunjeom on the border of North and South Korea as the venue for his upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Instead, Singapore is emerging as the possible site.

In a Cabinet meeting Wednesday, Trump said about the location of the Washington-Pyongyang summit: "We're going to announce that in three days… within three days. We're just working on arrangements."

When asked whether it would be Panmunjeom, he said, "It will not be there."

Following these remarks, many now predict Singapore will be the summit location.

Citing U.S. administration sources, multiple foreign media reported the Southeast Asian country has emerged as the candidate.

CNN said administration officials were instructed to prepare plans to hold the summit there, although the final decision is up to Trump.

Trump earlier showed interest in holding the summit at the truce village in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), posting on his Twitter: "Numerous countries are being considered for the meeting, but would Peace House/Freedom House, on the border of North and South Korea, be a more representative, important and lasting site than a third party country? Just asking!"

It is said Trump preferred Panmunjeom for more dramatics of the historic summit because of the truce village's symbolic image, while his aides did not because of a possible backlash if the nuclear negotiations do not progress as expected.

They prefer Singapore, which is more neutral and has good infrastructure for security, transportation and media coverage. Singapore also has both U.S. and North Korean embassies.

Some still speculate that the location can be Pyongyang, like when former U.S. President Richard Nixon visited China, then an adversary, in 1972 and laid the groundwork for diplomatic ties between the two nations.

很赞哦!（65）