SINGAPORE —The arrivals of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and United States President Donald Trump to Singapore on Sunday (June 10) stirred excitement among the public, who turned up to catch a glimpse of their motorcades and partake in a slice of history.

Onlookers joined hundreds of journalists and camera crew gathered outside the two hotels booked for both leaders, as well as the Istana where Mr Kim met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Ahead of the first-ever meeting between a sitting US president and North Korean leader on Tuesday, Mr Kim arrived at Changi Airport at about 2.40pm and was escorted in a convoy with more than 40 vehicles to St Regis hotel.

Mr Trump, who flew from Canada where the G7 summit was held, arrived at the Paya Lebar airbase at about 8.20pm and travelled with a convoy of a similar size to the Shangri-La hotel.

As early as 10am, scores of international media had gathered outside the St Regis hotel and members of the public soon followed.

Some happened to be passing the area while others had made a special trip to catch sight of Mr Kim's motorcade – as well as his jogging security guards, who duly made an appearance on arrival at St Regis and when departing for the meeting with Mr Lee.

A video of Mr Kim's bodyguards running alongside his limousine when he met South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Military Demarcation Line in April went viral.

An Orchard Road resident who only wanted to be known as Mary headed to St Regis after her morning walk at the Botanic Gardens.

Calling it a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity", she felt Mr Kim to be more "progressive" than his predecessors and is hopeful that the summit can bring about change.

A resident of St Regis Residences who only wanted to be known as Bobby, 48, said: "I've never seen any other president coming here on such a scale, with the whole big convoy, the level of security," he said.

Mr John Chan, 40, headed to Orchard with his children, aged 8 and 11, after seeing a news alert. He said it was "good to get the kids involved and let them be aware of what's happening on an international scale".

University student Gladys Yeo, 21, drove from Holland Village with her mother to catch Mr Kim's arrival. She was proud that Singapore was hosting the summit and said many people she encountered on a recent holiday to Europe knew the summit was going to be held here. "It's really cool that (the summit) advertises my country," she said.

Hundreds of onlookers similarly gathered outside the Istana later in the day and simultaneously held up their smartphones to film Mr Kim's arrival.

TEENS AMONG THOSE WHO TURN UP FOR TRUMP

At night, retired aviation engineer Teo Hong Mong, 78, was among a handful of people who waited outside Paya Lebar airbase for Mr Trump. “I came to see his big fantastic limousine car. I wanted to see him, but I couldn’t see his face,” said Mr Teo. His reason for going to the airbase? “This is the best place to watch, because (the town area) has so many people,” he said.

Americans were among members of the public and nearby residents who showed up outside the Shangri-La hotel on Orange Grove Road.

Five American students belted out their national anthem in anticipation of Mr Trump's arrival. Two of them, 17-year-old students Erica Lynn Boland and Christina Mcdougall, said they had been waiting at the valley-wing entrance of the hotel from about 6pm. 

"He's the president of our country, and this is a huge moment in history. We wouldn't want to miss it for the world," said Ms Boland, who is from New York.

Their friend Robin Yoon, also 17, made the effort to catch both leaders' arrival at their respective hotels. "It's so interesting to see these two divisive figures coming together, it's more meaningful for me culturally too, considering that I'm Korean-American," he said.

At least one American family was so eager to see Mr Trump that they extended their holiday here by two nights.

Ms Charu Bhanti, 41, said: "My kids really wanted to catch a glimpse of Trump. We had to grant their wishes, so we extended our stay."

The family of four was supposed to fly back to Chicago on Saturday morning, but will depart on Monday instead.

Ms Bhanti's 15-year-old son, Aadi, is an ardent Trump fan who admires his frankness. "I met him before in person at his 2016 election rally in Muscatine, Iowa," he said. "I remember vividly that he shook my hand and signed my cap."

In contrast to road closures and crowds in the Orchard area, Sentosa was a picture of calm on Sunday as workers put the finishing touches to Capella hotel – the summit's venue – and vans dropped goods off. A North Korean official was seen leaving the hotel in a black van.

Leisure seekers and businesses went about their usual activities and some visitors told TODAY they did not encounter security checks.

Malaysian teacher Sam Mei Jin, 25, said she had already planned her holiday itinerary and did not want to miss visiting Sentosa simply because of the summit.

Indian student Ajaya Bhatnagar, 16, went to Sentosa on both Saturday and Sunday to visit all the attractions on her list. "But I will avoid coming here tomorrow, perhaps I will go to the zoo or bird park," said Ajaya, who is here for 14 days.

Staff at outlets such as Old Chang Kee and Gelatissimo had been worried that tourists would stay away from Sentosa, but reported a regular crowd.

Things may change from Monday, however. Ice-cream shop Stickhouse's manager Raja Elayaraja said he has told his team to turn up earlier for their Monday shift to cater for security checks.