The historic summit between the United States and North Korea will take place next month in Singapore, about 5,000 kilometers south of the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. Some reasons the tiny city-state was chosen as the site.
Security:
Singapore has a track record of putting together top-level international gatherings at short notice. Single-party rule since Singapore gained independence in 1965 has ensured stability and fostered a security state that is among the world's most efficient.
Past experience:
Singapore also hosted a historic meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and then-Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou in November 2015. That meeting — the first between the leaders of the governments in Beijing and Taipei since the civil war ended seven decades earlier — was arranged under a shroud of secrecy.
Diplomatic ties:
Singapore is a large trading partner with the U.S., the second-largest Asian investor, and a longtime supporter of its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region. It is also the regional headquarters of large U.S. companies including Google, Facebook and Airbnb.
Singapore is one of about four dozen countries in the world where North Korea has an embassy. North Korea's state-owned companies have, in the past, conducted legal and illegal business dealings with Singapore businesses. The city-state officially cut off trade relations with North Korea in 2017 to abide by international sanctions.
