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A sign in Hanoi concerning the second North Korea-US summit

The InterContinental Westlake and the Opera House are being mentioned as possible sites for the second North Korea-US summit, which will be taking place in Hanoi, Vietnam, from Feb. 27 to 28. The National Convention Center had been considered previously, but North Korea is reportedly opposed to that idea.

“It’s becoming more likely that the summit will be held at the InterContinental Hotel or the Opera House,” said a local source on Feb. 19.

“The advantages of the InterContinental are that it’s located halfway between the likely accommodations of the two leaders and that it’s flanked by the West Lake, a large body of water, which is advantageous for security. But the Opera House remains an option since North Korean State Affairs Commission Chief Secretary Kim Chang-son has been there several times.”

As the de facto chief of staff for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Kim Chang-son is the North Korean official in charge of security and protocol for the summit.

A diplomatic source in Seoul offered a similar perspective: “The Vietnamese government’s original suggestions for the site of the summit were the National Convention Center, the Opera House and the State Guest House, and the advance teams from North Korea and the US are discussing these as they tour these sites. The Opera House still appears to be an option, since it’s close to the hotels that the North Korean team has visited.”

Possible sites for 2nd North Korea-US summit

On Feb. 16, Kim Chang-son looked around the Sofitel Legend Metropole, the Melia and the InterContinental Westlake. The press even shot footage of Kim looking around the Opera House with the US advance team. All these sites are in eastern Hanoi. Kim Jong-un is likely to stay in the Sofitel or the Melia.

The top contender for US President Donald Trump’s accommodations is the JW Marriott, which is west of downtown Hanoi. Sources say that the US initially preferred holding the summit at the National Convention Center, which is located near the JW Marriott.

But a local source said that North Korea was reportedly unhappy with the idea of the National Convention Center, presumably because it’s too far from Kim Jong-un’s likely accommodations and because the immense size of the building would complicate security arrangements. This center, which served as the site of the APEC summit in 2006, is a huge building, measuring 53.25m high, 215.25m long and 113.5m wide.

If either the InterContinental Hotel or the Opera House is selected as the site of the summit, the US might opt for different accommodations. The US has reportedly also made reservations at hotels in the vicinity of those two sites.

By Park Min-hee, staff reporter

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]

Caption: A sign in Hanoi concerning the second North Korea-US summit, which will be held on Feb. 27 and 28. (Yonhap News)