Singapore cashes in on Trump-Kim summit

Global Business

Singapore cashes in on Trump-Kim summit

The unprecedented meeting between U.S. president Donald Trump and the DPRK leader Kim Jong-un has come to an end. While it may take some time to see the real impact of their agreement, for Singaporean businesses the high-profile talks are already paying off.

CGTN’s Nanuka Danelia reports.

The Trump cocktail is popular with thousands of journalists and foreign delegates visiting Singapore for the summit – And it has boosted business for local bars. Of course, there is a cocktail named after the DPRK leader as well. Each costs around $10.

Restaurants also picked up on the trend, and cooked up fusion dishes to go with the unlikely pair coming together in Singapore.

“We wanted to be a part of it as a company, and we were just sort of chatting in the office and lounge trying to think of ideas, and we sell tacos. That’s what we do, so we thought, so let’s put something, let’s put a burger in a taco and put some Korean chicken in a taco and see what happens,” Nelson Burjos, executive chef at Lucha Loco said.

That’s how the “Rocket Man” and “El Trumpo” tacos were created. Other restaurants rolled out burgers with a twist. Some of the most popular ones are the “Burger for World Peace,” made of Korean-marinated bulgogi brisket, with kimchi mayo and melted American cheddar cheese; and the Trump-Kim Burger topped with kimchi.

While Singapore’s businesses are adding up their revenue, it may not be enough to offset the $15 million the government spent to host the meeting.

To increase returns, the Singapore Mint also unveiled souvenirs for those wanting something more long-lasting. It released commemorative coins featuring clasped hands under the U.S. and DPRK flags with the inscription “World Peace,” and they come in gold, silver and nickel.

The price of peace does not come cheap; the gold coin can cost around $1000. But that did not scare off customers.

“We try to give everyone a fair chance to own a medallion because it is part of the history. Fortunately, the mintage is still very low even though we have raised it. We didn’t anticipate the overwhelming response from people.” Said David Yip, Singapore Mint director.

Experts say this high-profile meeting could boost tourism in the Asian city-state. The Singapore Tourism Board is expecting the sector to bring in at least $20 billion this year. Luckily for those visitors hoping to get a taste of the summit, restaurants are considering making the summit-themed dishes a fixture on their menus.