Kim Jong Un's arrival in Vietnam by train this week for a second meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump may be most remarkable for how normal it's becoming.
Since opening talks with South Korea last year, the once-reclusive North Korean leader has turned into one of the most sought-after guests in Asia. At each stop — from Beijing to Singapore and now Hanoi — Kim, 35, is being escorted down red carpets by officials eager to build early ties with the head of one of the world's last untapped emerging markets.
The swing from international pariah to guest of honor is a testament to Kim's success in wresting power from military chieftains and eliminating rivals since his father died in 2011. It also illustrates his long-held desire to restore an economy drained by decades of famine, state planning and military expansion under his father and grandfather.