The lobby of Donald Trump's hotel in Singapore has turned into a mixing ground for US government officials.
At the swanky and heavily guarded Shangri-La Hotel, Secret Service officers are huddled in preparation for the president's movements, while US Navy members in white uniforms perch on couches nearby.
Top State Department officials have been seen strolling through the lobby, as has CIA officer Andy Kim, a Korea expert who is part of US delegation.
They are joined at the hotel by tourists and travelling youth groups.
Police can be seen patrolling outside the complex, which was picked partly for its experience in hosting high-security events.
Top military officials including US defence secretary James Mattis were at the hotel at the beginning of this month for the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual global defence forum.
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North Korean state media has raised the prospect that the nation could “establish a new relationship” with the United States as leaders of the two countries meet.
On the eve of the summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, an editorial in Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, said Mr Kim had travelled to Singapore with the intention of meeting the US leader and “meet the changing demands of the new era”.
According to the BBC, it added that “broad and in-depth opinions” would be exchanged to “establish a permanent and peaceful regime in the Korean peninsula and to solve problems that are of common concern, including issues to realise the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula”.
It added: “Even if a country had a hostile relationship with us in the past, our attitude is that if this nation respects our autonomy... we shall seek normalisation through dialogue.”