Around this time last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was getting ready to test his country's first intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. Now, he's posing for smiling selfies ahead of his meeting with President Donald Trump.
That's a massive shift in Kim's public persona, and it might show one of the reasons both Trump and Kim were eager for this meeting to take place: Regardless of what actually happens, international summits can be a pretty big PR boost.
North Korean leaders have been aiming to sit down with a U.S. president for generations. The isolated country views this summit as a sign that North Korea is a significant player on the world stage, able to hold its own against more powerful countries.
In a break from tradition, North Korea's state propaganda networks informed North Koreans about the summit before it wrapped up and Kim was safely back in the country. State media noted the event was "garnering the attention and hopes of the entire world."
And President Trump has plenty of good reasons to put on a good show in Singapore.
A high-stakes meeting with Kim could do wonders for Trump's self-promoted image as a deal-maker and a statesman. It's also a diversion from other, more turbulent issues facing the Trump White House.
Plus, the summit's playing pretty well back home. A Quinnipiac poll notes about 72 percent of voters approve of Trump's meeting with Kim, though only 20 percent of them think North Korea's actually willing to give up its nuclear weapons.
The two countries still have a lot of diplomatic work left to do if they want to make any progress toward peace. But for now, Trump and Kim are both set to enjoy the spectacle of their historic meeting in Singapore.
Additional reporting via Newsy affiliate CNN.
