KJU Does Singapore (Three Days Without You, Thought I’d Forget) Volume I

KJU’s last observed appearance was his visit to a seafood restaurant in Pyongyang

Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) departed on an Air China passenger plane for Singapore on the morning of June 10 (Sunday) for “the historic first summit meeting and talks” with Donald J. Trump, President of the United States.

A ceremony was held at Pyongyang Airport prior to Jong Un’s departure.  He was seen off at the airport by Supreme People’s Assembly [SPA] Presidium President Kim Yong Nam (Kim Yo’ng-nam), Workers’ Party of Korea [WPK] Vice Chairman and WPK Organization Guidance Department Director and State Affairs Commission Vice Chairman Choe Ryong Hae (Ch’oe Ryong-hae), DPRK Premier and State Affairs Commission Vice Chairman Pak Pong Ju (Pak Pong-u), SPA Presidium Vice President and Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland Presidium Member Yang Hyong Sop (Yang Hyo’ng-sop), WPK Political Bureau Member and the last known Chief of the Korean People’s Army [KPA] General Staff Department VMar Ri Myong Su (Ri Myo’ng-su), KPA General Political Bureau Director Gen. Kim Su Gil (Kim Su-kil), last known Director of the KPA General Staff Department Operations Bureau and 1st Vice Chief of the KPA General Staff Gen. Ri Yong Gil (Ri Yo’ng-kil), WPK Vice Chairman and WPK Propaganda and Agitation Department Director Pak Kwang Ho (Pak Kwang-ho), WPK Vice Chairman and WPK Cadres’ Affairs Department Director Kim Phyong Hae (Kim P’yo’ng-hae), WPK Vice Chairman and WPK Light Industry Department Director An Jong Su (An Cho’ng-su), WPK Vice Chairman for Science and Education Pak Thae Song (Pak T’ae-so’ng), Minister of People’s Security Gen. Choe Pu Il (Ch’oe Pu-il), DPRK Vice Premier and State Planning Commission Chairman Ro Tu Chol (Ro Tu-ch’o’l), WPK Vice Chairman for Workers’ and Social Organizations and State Physical Culture and Sports Guidance Commission Choe Hwi (Ch’oe Hwi) and WPK Vice Chairman for General Affairs Pak Thae Dok (Pak T’ae-dok).

Members Kim Jong Un’s travel party included WPK Vice Chairman and WPK United Front Department Director Kim Yong Chol (Kim Yo’ng-ch’o’l), WPK Vice Chairman and WPK International Affairs Department Director Ri Su Yong (Ri Su-yo’ng; a/k/a Ri Chol), DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho (Ri Yo’ng-ho), Minister of the People’s Armed Forces Gen. No Kwang Chol (No Kwang-ch’o’l), Personal Secretariat Deputy Director and WPK Propaganda and Agitation Department Senior Deputy Director Kim Yo Jong (Kim Yo’-cho’ng), DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui (Ch’oe So’n-hu’i), Personal Secretariat Chief Kim Chang Son (Kim Ch’ang-son) and the Director of the Main Office of Adjutants.

Jong Un got on the airplane “after exchanging greetings with the senior officials of the party and government who came to see him off” and these senior officials “wished Kim Jong Un good successes in the first summit meeting and talks between the DPRK and the US and for his safe return.”

In a preview of his interactions in Singapore, DPRK state media reported that “wide-ranging and profound views on the issue of establishing new DPRK-US relations, the issue of building a permanent and durable peace-keeping mechanism on the Korean Peninsula, the issue of realizing the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and other issues of mutual concern, as required by the changed era will be exchanged at the DPRK-US summit talks to be held for the first time in history under the great attention and expectation of the whole world.”

Kim Jong Un touched down in Singapore at 1500 local time on June 10 (Sunday).  He was greeted by Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Singaporean Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chee Wee Kiong and Northeast Asia Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director-General Eric Teo.  Jong Un “exchanged warm greetings with the Singaporean government senior officials…and headed for St. Regis Hotel, his lodging headquarters.”

Not long after arriving in Singapore and freshening up in his hotel suite at the St. Regis, Jong Un met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.  Also in attendance were Kim Yo Jong, WPK Vice Chairman and UFD Director Kim Yong Chol, WPK Vice Chairman and IAD Director and Minister of the PAF Gen. No Kwang Chol.  Attending from the Singaporean Government were Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Defense Maliki Bin Osman and Senior Minister of State at the Ministries of Culture, Community and Youth and Trade and Industry Sim Ann.

Jong Un “expressed warm greetings with the prime minister, made an entry in the visitors’ book and had a friendly talk with him.”  He said he “was very pleased to visit the magnificent and beautiful Republic of Singapore on behalf of the government of the DPRK and the Korean people.”  Jong Un expressed “deep thanks to the Singaporean government for its sincere cooperation of providing all conditions and best conveniences for the historic DPRK-US summit meeting and talks.”  Lee Hsien Loong thanked “the DPRK for selecting his country as the venue for the DPRK-US summit talks” and expressed his “expectation that the historic summit talks would offer an important occasion in achieving peace and stability of the Korean peninsula”

The meeting mentioned “issues of developing the bilateral relations in an all-round way by invigorating wide-ranging exchanges and cooperation while maintaining the excellent relations and deepening the friendly relations between the two countries.”  The meeting “proceeded in a warm and friendly atmosphere.”

On June 11 (Monday), Kim Jong Un took a stroll around Singapore.  Also in attendance were Kim Yo Jong, Kim Yong Chol, Ri Su Yong, Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and Gen. No Kwang Chol.  Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Singaporean Minister of Education Ong Ye Kung.  The perambulators enjoyed “a nocturnal bird’s eye view of the city on the observation platform of the Marina Bay Sands building.”  Jong Un said “Singapore is clean and beautiful and every building is stylish as he had heard in the past.”  He said he would “learn a lot from the good knowledge and experience of Singapore in various fields in the future.”

Whilst walking to the Singapore Port, Jong Un was “briefed on the future urban development plan of Singapore and the Durian Theater on Jubilee Bridge.”  He remarked that he “could get to know well about the potentials and development of Singapore’s economy through that day’s tour” and that he “came to have a good impression about the country.”  Kim Jong Un “thanked the senior officials of Singapore’s government for accompanying him till late at night to kindly guide and brief him on the city.”