Vietnam making all

Children at a kindergarten in Hanoi stage a welcoming event for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who arrived in the city, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

By Kim Bo-eun

Vietnam is pulling out all stops to make the most of hosting the second summit between North Korea and the U.S. to be held today through Thursday.

The communist state with a fast-growing economy is hoping that playing host for the major summit will promote the country's image globally as one engaging in multilateral diplomacy, capable of hosting large international events.

Kim, Trump arrive in Hanoi for make-or-break summit 2019-02-26 23:06  |  North Korea
Hanoi has adorned major streets with signs welcoming the summit and promoting the city as well as Vietnam.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered government ministries to do their utmost to prepare for security earlier this week, and the government deported a political impersonator over what appeared as possible security concerns, Monday. The Hong Kong-based Kim Jong-un impersonator Howard X was told to leave due to an "invalid" visa, after staging a fake summit with a Trump lookalike.

Meanwhile, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism is offering free tours to international journalists visiting to cover the event. According to a report by Vietnamese media outlet VN Express, journalists who have registered with the international media center (IMC) are able to enjoy free tours to attractions such as Ha Long Bay. Over 3,000 journalists representing more than 200 media outlets of 40 countries have registered with the IMC, according to the Vietnamese government.

The state agency is set to hold a press conference on Vietnam's tourism industry this week. Tourism accounts for about 7 percent of the country's GDP.

Expectations are growing on the economic effects the summit will have on Vietnam.

Media intelligence firm Meltwater estimated Singapore reaped 620 billion won ($700 million) in exposure as the host of the first summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June last year. This was 40 times what it invested in hosting the summit.

In Hanoi, there are T-shirts bearing Kim and Trump's faces, burgers and drinks named after them, and a barber is offering free hairdos of the leaders' signature styles.

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