SINGAPORE – Hosting Tuesday’s summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will cost local officials about $20 million, a hefty price Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said his country is “willing to pay” to be a witness to history.
“It is our contribution to an international endeavor that is in our profound interest,” Lee told reporters at the International Media Center, where thousands of journalists have descended to cover the pivotal moment when Trump and Kim meet face-to-face for talks that could lead to an even greater diplomatic breakthrough with North Korea.
“When the two sides asked us to host the meeting, we cannot say no,” Lee said, claiming local authorities had to “step up” in order to cover heavy security demands from the U.S. and North Korea.
According to Singapore’s Law and Home Affairs minister, about 5,000 policemen and civil defense force officers have been deployed around the separate hotels where Trump and Kim are staying, and at the Capella resort on Sentosa Island where they will meet Tuesday morning.
“If you calculate the price of everything in this world, you will miss out on the real, important things. In this case, what’s important is that the summit is held and we are hosting it, not extravagantly,” Lee said, adding that Singapore was committed to doing “what is necessary to make this a safe meeting.”
The $20 million price tag is substantially higher than what Seoul spent to cover South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s summit with Kim in April. That meeting, in which the two leaders participated in an iconic photo op at the Demilitarized Zone, reportedly cost the South Koreans about $5 million.
While Singapore foots the bill for hosting the summit, speculation has swirled around North Korea’s ability to pay for its participation. U.S. officials have denied reports that the Trump administration will cover Kim’s accommodations.
[Related: Travel website offers to pay Kim’s Singapore hotel, room service bill]
