The day that Donald Trump met Kim Jong-un

First meeting between sitting US and North Korean leaders, Singapore, 2018: The most remarkable thing about the event was that it happened at all, writes Andrew Buncombe

North Korea had to borrow a plane from China to ensure its leader made it safely to Singapore (Getty)

The thing everyone noticed was not simply the greeting, but how long it lasted.

Pacing towards each other on a veranda of Singapore’s Capella Hotel, the two leaders reached out their right hands and began shaking. The US president then placed his left hand on the younger man’s arm, while they continued to pump and smile. Go back and watch: the stopwatch suggests that handshaking lasted a full 12 seconds.

And how much was that handshake worth? Perhaps an awful lot.