Thayer Consultancy Background Brief

ABN # 65 648 097 123

Hanoi as Venue for Trump-Kim
Second Summit
January 23, 2019

We are preparing a background report on the forthcoming second summit meeting

between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un. We request your input
into the following issues:
Q1. Do you have any sources confirming Hanoi or Da Nang as the venue for the 2nd
U.S.-North Korea summit?
ANSWER: Glenda Korporall, China Correspondent for The Australian, reports
speculation the second summit will be held in Vietnam: “Vietnam looms as host of
next Trump-Kim summit,” The Weekend Australian, January 19-20, 2019.
Q2. Why has Hanoi been chosen as one of three possible venues?
ANSWER: Both Hanoi and Da Nang City feature in media speculation as the venue in
Vietnam for the second summit between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim
Jong-un. Vietnam has a proven track record of being able to host high level events in
a secure environment. And Vietnam has excellent facilities to accommodate
government leaders. Vietnam is regarded by the U.S. and North Korea and other
stakeholders as a neutral venue.
Vietnam’s government has good relations with the United States and relatively good
relations with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Since becoming
President Donald Trump has met with Vietnam’s top leaders. He has been to both Da
Nang and Hanoi. Vietnam appears to have complied with UN sanctions in good faith.
Last year, the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Hanoi immediately after a
trip to North Korea. As for the DPRK, over a decade ago Vietnam hosted confidential
talks between the DPRK and Japan on the family reunion issue. Vietnam also
supported the DPRK’s membership in the ASEAN Regional Forum.
The interests of both China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) are also met if Vietnam
hosts the second summit. Both China and Vietnam support UN sanctions. China
encourages and supports continued dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington, a
policy similar to Vietnam’s. South Korea too supports and encourages dialogue
between the DPRK and the U.S. South Korea has close relations with Vietnam.
In sum, the U.S., and the DPRK, as well as China and the ROK, trust Vietnam as a neutral
host and have confidence in Vietnam’s ability to organize and manage security,
logistics, accommodation and media requirements for a second summit.
 2

Q3. What are Vietnam’s advantages regarding providing security for the summit?
ANSWER: Vietnam can provide security at the highest level as its hosting of the APEC
Summit in 2017 attests. There are no expatriate or other groups in Vietnam that could
disrupt the summit by staging demonstrations. Vietnam can control media reporting.
Q4. What are the major challenges in pulling off the summit there?
ANSWER: Meeting the logistics and accommodation requirements of the two leaders
and their entourages are likely the most major challenges.
Q5. What are the geographical issues in Kim’s travel arrangements?
ANSWER: Chairman Kim, who reportedly does not like to fly, did fly to Singapore for
the first summit. He plane was escorted over Chinese airspace by the People’s
Liberation Army Air Force.
Kim travels on his personal Ilyushin-62M private plane. This aircraft can easily fly from
Pyongyang to Hanoi in three to four hours. China would once again offer to provide a
fighter escort. Both Hanoi and Da Nang airports are accessible. Also, Hanoi is two
hours behind Pyongyang so the issue of jet lag does not arise.
The Ilyushin-62M can fly 10,300 kilometers with a top speed of 900 km/hour. The air
distance from Pyongyang to Hanoi is 2,760 km.
Q6. Vietnam has achieved success in opening up to the world, is its model relevant to
North Korea?
ANSWER: Several years prior to the first Trump-Kim summit, the DPRK expressed
interest in Vietnam’s model of doi moi or renovation. Several delegations have made
study visits to Vietnam to gain first hand experience in Vietnam’s model of
development and opening to the global economy. Also, students from North Korea
have studied Vietnamese reforms at institutions n Vietnam.
Vietnam has relevant historical experience that it could share with the DPRK: how it
negotiated an end to the U.S. embargo and normalized relations, how to address war
legacy issues, how to open the economy to foreign investment, the legislative
framework for joint ventures, how to negotiate a free trade agreement, etc.

Suggested citation: Carlyle A. Thayer, “Hanoi as Venue for Trump-Kim Second

Summit,” Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, January 23, 2019. All background
briefs are posted on Scribd.com (search for Thayer). To remove yourself from the
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Thayer Consultancy provides political analysis of current regional security issues and
other research support to selected clients. Thayer Consultancy was officially
registered as a small business in Australia in 2002.