Watch CBS News

North Korea summit: All eyes on Kim Jong Un ahead of historic meeting with Trump

World watching Kim Jong Un
All eyes on Kim Jong Un ahead of "historic" summit with Trump 02:27

SINGAPORE -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's motorcade suddenly left the St. Regis hotel in Singapore Sunday night, arriving at one of the city's most famous tourist spots, the Gardens by the Bay, minutes later. Singapore's foreign minister posted a selfie with Kim inside what's known as the "flower dome."

But he wasn't the only one causing a media stir. The South Korean press chased a North Korean cameraman through the streets when he left his hotel.

TOPSHOT-SINGAPORE-NKOREA-US-SUMMIT-NUCLEAR-POLITICS
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) walks on the Jubilee bridge during a tour in Singapore on June 11, 2018. Nicholas Yeo / AFP/Getty Images

For the first time on Sunday, North Korean state TV announced details of Kim's schedule in Singapore, describing the summit as "historic" and saying Kim would be exchanging "wide-ranging and profound views" with President Trump. Citizens in the North Korean capital watched the coverage on a big screen TV and read it on the front page of newspapers.

Kim, who is believed to be just 34 years old, took over from his father in 2011. Since then, he's launched nearly 100 missiles and conducted North Korea's most powerful nuclear tests.

He has also convinced the North Korean people that nuclear weapons are their only savior from an invasion by the U.S. But Kim, who was educated in Switzerland, has also promised to transform North Korea's economy and the lives of its people.

CBS News was in Pyongyang last year when Kim unveiled an entire new block of modern high-rises in the capital. His message to America is: Your sanctions don't work. We will keep building our buildings and our missiles.

Now the young dictator, condemned by the State Department for egregious human rights violations, is trying to change his image.

Will Trump mention North Korea human rights abuses? 05:19
View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.