INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image:Mr Kim waved to cheering crowds as his train left PyongyangNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has departed for Hanoi by train for talks
with US President Donald Trump
He arrived at the Chinese border city of Dandong after 21:00 local time (13:00 GMT) on Saturday.The much anticipated second US-North Korea
summit is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in the Vietnamese capital
It follows a historic first round of talks last year in Singapore
All eyes will be on what if any progress is made towards "denuclearisation"
The departure, confirmed by North Korean state media, is the first official acknowledgement that the talks are taking place.The state media
report said Mr Kim would pay a "goodwill" visit to Vietnam as part of the trip.He is thought to be travelling with his sister Kim Yo Jong
and one of his key negotiators, former General Kim Yong Chol.Why are they meeting again "We fell in love," Mr Trump told a rally last
"He wrote me beautiful letters."Despite the flowery words, the months following the first summit last June were characterised by frosty and
sparse contact.This meeting is expected to build on the groundwork of that meeting and address the thorny issue of denuclearisation, where
experts say little progress has been made
Days before the Hanoi meeting, the agenda remains unclear
What did the last summit achieve The first summit last June in Singapore, between two leaders who had previously only exchanged vitriol, was
certainly a historic moment
However, the agreement they signed was vague on detail and little has been done about its stated goal of "denuclearisation"
Image copyrightAFPImage caption
The second summit won't be able to match that first handshake in 2018
Donald Trump promised to scale back the US-South Korea military exercises that angered the North, but in the months that have passed many
have queried what he got in return
Moves like the dismantling of a key rocket site in the North last summer are little more more than a gesture, experts say, given the North
made no commitment to halt weapons development or shut down missile bases.However, lower-level negotiation channels have recently seen
activity, which could mean more goes into a Hanoi declaration.So what can we expect this time round This time round both leaders will be
very conscious that expectations will be high for an outcome that demonstrates tangible signs of progress - or at least a measurable roadmap
for progress.Analysts will watch closely what concessions both sides are prepared to make for this.Washington's original stance was that
North Korea had to unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons before there could be any sanctions relief
But just a few days ago, President Trump said he was "in no rush" to press denuclearisation
One possibility mooted is a declaration to officially end the Korean War
Some suggest the US will ask North Korea to put forward concrete steps, such as dismantling the Yongbyon nuclear site and missile bases, in
exchange for some US sanctions relief
Why is it happening in VietnamImage copyrightKCNAImage caption
Mr Kim might try to get some insights into Vietnam's
remarkable economic growth
It's an ideal location for many reasons
It has diplomatic relations with both the US and North Korea, despite once having been enemies with the US - and could be used by the US as
an example of two countries working together and setting aside their past grievances
Ideologically, both Vietnam and North Korea are communist countries - though Vietnam has rapidly developed since and become one of the
fastest growing economies in Asia, all while retaining absolute power
Its rapid development could be used by the US to show the direction North Korea could go in should it choose to open its doors
