When Democratic People's Republic of Korea top leader Kim Jong-un and United States President Donald Trump met in Hanoi on Wednesday, their broad smiles and warm handshake conveyed the same conviviality they displayed after their head-to-head talks in Singapore eight months ago.

However, the expectations ahead of this meeting have been much higher than they were last June, when the first meeting between the two sitting leaders of the two countries was a historic achievement in itself.

This time both leaders will be hoping to return home with more than just the souvenir photos.

A formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War, which the DPRK has long sought, would go a long way to addressing Pyongyang's security concerns, which it has used to justify its nuclear weapons program.

With a security guarantee and incentives, such as sanctions relief and economic assistance, the once isolated country would have no reason not to drop its nuclear weapons program.

Trump, who seems to have adopted a more flexible approach in dealing with Pyongyang, said prior to the Hanoi summit that he would be happy as long as the DPRK commits to "no (nuclear weapons) testing".