The Planned Kim-Trump

Summit in Singapore

 
 
 

Vocabulary

stroll	promise	waterfront
turn up	awaited	olive branch
accent	formally	impersonator
predict	diplomacy	demilitarized
zone	surprise	counterpart
barb	back on	exchange of barbs
fury	prisoner	personality
puppy	extend (2)	expectation
fool (2)	cross (3)	work toward
olive	supreme	extend an olive branch
rocket	appear (2)	make good on a promise
summit	detonate	turnaround
site	confident	throw/threw/thrown
cite	hostility	throw a curve bal
decide	comment	incarnation
recent	testing (2)	on the table (2)
commit	signal (2)	explanation
curve	invitation	acknowledge
guess	take place	play game (2)
set foot	terminate

 
 
 
 

Video: The On and Off Again Meeting

 
 
 
 

Transcript

Could it be?

Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un strolling along the Singapore waterfront, a good two weeks before the long-awaited US-North Korean summit?

“Kim Jong Un”, Supreme Leader of North Korea: “Hey Mr. Trump, I’m already here in Singapore, I’m just waiting for you to turn up.”

Even with the Australian accent, many Singaporean were fooled by Kim-impersonator, Howard X.

He predicted the meeting will be a success.

Howard X, Kim Jong Un Impersonator: “I think that the two leaders will sit down together, and they’re going have a great time. Because, really, they have the same personality and really — they’re the same person.

So I think they’ll be best friends right after this meeting.”

Meanwhile, the real Kim was in the Demilitarized Zone at a surprise meeting with his southern counterpart.

They say the meeting with Trump is back on.

But is it?

Let’s start from the beginning, and an exchange of barbs.

Donald Trump, US President: “They will be met with fire and fury.”

“Little Rocket Man.”

“Little Rocket Man.”

“Rocket Man is a sick puppy.”

Olympic diplomacy follows in February, and Pyongyang extends an invitation to meet Donald Trump.

Donald Trump, US President: “I’ll be meeting with Kim Jong Un in the coming weeks.”

At the end of April, the leaders of North and South Korea meet for the first time: Kim Jong Un crosses into the South; and Moon Jae In crosses into the North.

They agree to work toward formally ending the Korean War.

In May Pyongyang extends an olive branch, and releases three American prisoners.

Donald Trump, US President: “I think he did this because, I really think he wants to do something.”

Two weeks later, Kim Jong Un appears to make good on a promise — detonating parts of his own known nuclear testing site.

Then, Washington throws a curve ball, citing hostility in recent North Korean comments.

Donald Trump, US President: “I’ve decided to terminate the planned summit in Singapore on June twelfth.”

Then just one day later, another turnaround: the meeting is back on the table.

Trump’s explanation:

Donald Trump, US President: “Everybody plays games — you know that.”

Back at the surprise meeting over the weekend, the South Korean president says the North is committed to complete denuclearization.

But acknowledges that Kim and Trump might have differing expectations of what that means.

Meanwhile, Trump is back to sending confident signals.

Donald Trump, US President: “So we’re looking at June twelfth in Singapore; that hasn’t changed, and . . . it’s going along pretty well.

So we’ll see what happens.”

What happens next is anyone’s guess.

Back in Singapore, no one knows if the meeting will take place.

This could be the only incarnation of Kim Jong Un ever to set foot here.

 

 

Questions

1. North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un actually was in Singapore two weeks before the US-North Korean summit. True or false? Is Howard X a local Singaporean?

2. Is Howard X optimistic or pessimistic about the upcoming Kim-Trump meeting? What does he predict? Why is he hopeful?

3. US President Donald Trump has always been on friendly terms with Kim Jong Un. Is this right or wrong?

4. What was the ice-breaker in US-North Korean relations? Who initiated a meeting of the leaders?

5. Would the meeting in Singapore be the first time Kim Jong Un met a foreign leader? What items are on their agendas?

6. Has Pyongyang made goodwill gestures?

7. Everything is progressing smoothly towards the US-North Korean summit in Singapore. Is this correct or incorrect? Is everyone sure that it will take place?

 

A. Are events on the Korean Peninsula closely monitored by the media in your country?

B. Are you optimistic or pessimistic about dialogue and detente between the US and North Korean?

C. What can you say about Kim and Trump?

D. I know some people who are like Trump and Kim. Yes or no?

E. What will happen in the future?

F. What is the solution to the situation? What should North Korea (Kim) and the United States (Trump) do?