A U.S. delegation arrived in Hanoi on Monday to work with the competent Vietnamese agencies on security for the upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, while Kim’s delegation has been present in Hanoi since February 16, the local media reported.


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South Korean reporters stand in front of the North Korean Embassy in Vietnam 


The U.S. delegation and the Vietnamese agencies have finalized plans to welcome U.S. President Trump and his entourage at Noi Bai International Airport.

When welcoming the U.S. delegation, the airport will be at its highest security level, with 800 security officers.

Over the last few days, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs have surveyed the airport and surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, a delegation from North Korea, led by Kim Chang-son, chief secretary of the North Korean Secretariat of the State Affairs Commission, checked the security at the hotel where the North Korean leader will stay during his time in Hanoi and the venue for the summit with President Trump.

In related news, many journalists from international news agencies have flocked to Hanoi ahead of the summit.

On the day the North Korean delegation arrived in Hanoi, at least seven South Korean news agencies---SBS, KBS, MBC, JTBC, YTN, News1 and Yonhap---and Japan’s national public broadcasting organization NHK were present at the North Korean Embassy in Vietnam, the Government’s guesthouse and the Metropole and Melia hotels.

In addition, reporters from Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, China and the United States were sent to Vietnam.

Several South Korean and Japanese news firms have proposed the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs extend a visa waiver to their staff in case the summit continues for longer than expected.

Moreover, hotels near venues predicted to host the upcoming summit and hotels where Trump and Un might stay are nearly fully booked.

The first summit between U.S. President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore last year saw the participation of some 5,000 reporters from across the world. Vietnam expects to welcome an equivalent number of reporters to the upcoming summit.

The second summit between Trump and Un is slated to take place on February 27 and 28.

SGT