Joe Hagin: The quiet figure and the 'gamble' that contributed to the US-North Korea summit

Given the tight time frame, this could be considered the biggest bet of his career.

Mr. Joe Hagin. Photo: AP

Hagin arrived in Singapore last week to work out logistical details with a North Korean delegation. The preparations he is making in the Southeast Asian city-state could determine whether the summit can go ahead.

From the beginning, logistical concerns were a key part of the preparations and planning for the meeting, from deciding on the location to addressing North Korean concerns about leader Kim Jong-un's ability to travel from North Korea to Singapore safely.

Senior White House officials said a week of discussions between Mr. Hagin and North Korean officials played a key role in leading to President Trump’s confident statement on June 1 that “We will meet on June 12 in Singapore.”

A senior White House official said Mr. Hagin had essentially completed the logistics for the summit, and had final meetings with his North Korean counterparts.

Mr Hagin's former colleagues said he was the perfect person for the task of organising a special meeting with a North Korean dictator in just a few weeks.

“He was the best,” said former Secret Service Director W. Ralph Basam. “If it was possible, Joe Hagin was the guy who would make it happen.”

Joe Hagin and a team of White House officials have been combing through conference rooms, hotels and government buildings in Singapore for the past week to find a suitable location for the US-North Korea summit, while also trying to resolve issues with their North Korean counterparts.

“Normally, these events take months to prepare,” said Josh Bolten, former White House chief of staff under President Bush. “It’s not going to go as smoothly as we’d like, but Joe’s presence gives me confidence.”

In just one week, the US-North Korea summit, the most anticipated event of all time, will take place. Photo: Getty

Many issues were discussed during the meetings between Hagin and his North Korean counterparts. Sources familiar with the matter said the number of guards allowed in the room with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was a major concern for Kim, who worries about the risk of a coup if he is absent for too long or travels too far from home. Another issue was Kim’s transportation, and of course how the meeting would be filmed.

The logistical discussions attracted intense public and press attention. Mr. Hagin, accustomed to conducting his duties quietly, was frequently mobbed by reporters whenever he left his hotel. More than once, negotiators changed the meeting location at the last minute to avoid press scrutiny.

The meetings were conducted at an extremely slow pace and with extreme caution. A source familiar with the discussions said North Korean officials were “very sensitive to orders” and Mr. Hagin’s team tried to present the ideas for the summit in the most friendly and cooperative manner.

North Korean officials also need approval from senior leaders in Pyongyang for every detail, so it takes one to two days for the two sides to reach an agreement on even the smallest logistical details.

Meanwhile, the White House, on the other hand, allowed Mr. Hagin to decide on the best options for organizing the conference, including the location, a fact that reflects the prestige and power that Mr. Hagin has had in the White House for many years.

As White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Mr. Hagin oversaw much of the White House's logistics and personnel operations. Joe Hagin also participated in many of the administration's sensitive foreign policy activities.

He was part of the delegation that accompanied Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Pyongyang in early May to secure the release of three American hostages by North Korea.

His presence in the ranks of senior White House officials has helped many colleagues, and even Democratic Party members who are worried about the fate of America after Donald Trump takes power, feel more secure.

Hagin has often avoided sharing sensitive logistical details with Trump about meetings, including Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Mar-a-Lago last year, out of concern that the president would tweet and upset the plans, two officials said.