SINGAPORE - Some Singaporeans have come up with creative ways to mark the historic summit between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that officially kicked off at 9am on Tuesday (June 12).
Tribal Worldwide Singapore, an advertising agency, began giving out car decals with the slogan "Peace starts here" at 9am at its office in Kallang Avenue. A total of 500 of these decals, which depict a peace sign in the red-and-white colours of the Singapore flag, will be available.
Mr Benson Toh, the agency's creative director, said the idea for this project was mooted last week. The agency said it wanted to give Singaporeans a sense of ownership of the summit.
"We're not just a meeting point for these world leaders but part of the peace process. And as a nation, that's something to be proud of," he told The Straits Times.
A group of undergraduates has come up with a T-shirt design in honour of the summit, with the slogan "Make Korea Korea Again". The T-shirts will be sold online at $12.40, including shipping costs.
The design was a play on Mr Trump's presidential campaign slogan "Make America Great Again", said Singapore University of Technology and Design undergraduate Chew Yun Qing, 19, who worked with two friends on the project.
More than 20 orders for the T-shirt have been placed since it was launched online on Saturday.
At the summit, Mr Trump and Mr Kim, whose official title is Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, are expected to hammer out a deal on the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. The South Korean government also hopes that the summit will put a formal end to the Korean War.
There has also been keen interest in the commemorative coins unveiled by the Singapore Mint, featuring an affirmative handshake between Mr Trump and Mr Kim.
The Singapore Mint's website stated on Tuesday morning that there has been "overwhelming response" for the gold and silver coins. Potential buyers from Singapore may have to ballot for them if demand exceeds the allocated quantity for Singapore.
There are 3,000 of the one-ounce 999 fine silver coins to be made available worldwide. A total of 15,000 of the ½-ounce 999.9 fine gold coins have been minted. A limited number of each will be allocated to Singapore, though the Singapore Mint did not say what this quantity is.
The coins can be ordered online on the Singapore Mint website. Pre-orders close on Tuesday and the coins will be issued around the end of June or early July.
Besides introducing summit-themed drinks, bars and clubs in town are also holding special events. The Empire Sky Lounge in Raffles Place will host a party, The Summit On The Rooftop, from 5pm on Tuesday.
Partygoers can also bop along to K-pop and American tunes at The Propeller bar at Bay Hotel Singapore in HarbourFront at a summit after-party from 7pm on Wednesday.
