HANOI – US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met for their second summit in eight months on Wednesday (Feb 27) in Hanoi.

The two shook hands in front of the cameras before they began a short meeting in Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel Hanoi.

The handshake appeared to stick quite closely to the formula of their first handshake during their summit last June in Singapore, with only slight differences.

Here is a quick comparison of the two handshakes:

SIMILARITIES

Backdrop: Both handshakes took place against a backdrop of American and North Korean flags. There were 12 in Singapore – 6 for each country – and 12 in Hanoi.

Format: Both handshakes followed the same pattern. The two leaders walked in from opposite ends, met in the middle for a handshake while facing each other, then turned to face cameras and had a short chat before walking off.

In both instances, Mr Trump reached out to touch Mr Kim’s elbow shortly after the handshake began. This is a signature Trump handshake and has been deployed numerous times.

DIFFERENCES

Direction: The most obvious difference is that the two leaders came from different sides. In Singapore, Mr Trump approached from the right and Mr Kim from the left. In Hanoi, it was the opposite.

Duration: Mr Trump and Mr Kim shared a 14-second handshake in Singapore before letting go and turning to pose for the cameras.

In Hanoi, the handshake lasted 9 and a half seconds, and they turned to face the cameras at the 4-second mark while still hand-in-hand.

Body language expert Karen Leong told Reuters that Mr Kim looked far more confident compared to their last meeting in Singapore.

“Kim was walking towards Trump far more briskly with his hand extended. Previously in Singapore, Kim was far more hesitant. There is much more sense of familiarity,” said Ms Leong, managing director of Singapore-headquartered Influence Solutions and author of the book Win People Over.

Mr Trump welcomed Mr Kim with his palm facing up, which Ms Leong said indicated that “Trump wants the rapport. He is not here to become the bully, he is here to win Kim”.

Related Stories: 

Source: Read Full Article