Why Vietnam is the ideal location for the second US-North Korea summit

Other locations on the list include Thailand, Hawaii and Singapore, but Chinese sources said last week that Vietnam was being given top priority.

Vietnam's economic reform model can help North Korea learn from. Photo: evn.com.vn

Japan's Yomiuri newspaper reported on January 13 that the US also proposed Vietnam as the venue for the US-North Korea summit. Observers said that Vietnam is symbolically important to both Washington and Pyongyang because the Southeast Asian country has diplomatic relations with both sides.

Mr. Koh Yu-hwan, Professor of North Korean Studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, said that the geographical location close to China is also a reason to choose Hanoi.

Professor Koh stated: "It is possible to reach Hanoi via mainland China... This will make it easier for Pyongyang to ensure security for the North Korean leader."

Meanwhile, expert Trieu Thong of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy in Beijing commented that Vietnam meets all the necessary criteria to host the summit.

Vietnam, he said, "is now much more open and connected to the international community with growing economic potential - a good example that North Korea could study and follow."

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump. Photo: AP

This expert also shared that China, North Korea's only ally, will strongly support the US-North Korea summit.

“Easing tensions over North Korea’s nuclear program would help China deepen its economic engagement with North Korea, which is a key foreign policy goal for Beijing, and in turn help restore economic growth in Northeast China,” he explained.

In addition, according to Professor Koh, the prospect of rapid economic development could convince North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal. Mr. Koh commented: "Through the two summits, the US may want to convey a symbolic message that North Korea can choose either Singapore or Vietnam as its economic development model"./.