Singapore summit may mark a new beginning

It is no exaggeration to say the summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un on Tuesday in Singapore could be epoch-making. The denouement to months of diplomatic efforts and the on-off-on-again saga that unfolded after its announcement, the meeting is of great significance. The first between the incumbent leaders of the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, it is a face-to-face conversation that can set the course of history - for better or worse.

Such a meeting seemed impossible less than a year ago, when Trump and Kim were exchanging fiery rhetoric and trading personal insults. Indeed, to many it seemed that conflict was imminent.

And even after olive branches were extended and accepted and the meeting agreed, there were still twists in the plot. When the DPRK denounced the US-ROK joint military drills in May and suspended pre-arranged high-level talks with the Republic of Korea because of the drills, many began to doubt whether the summit would go ahead.