From "little rocket man" to "my friend", the words have certainly evolved between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un. They just haven't resulted in much action, so far.

So while the US President is forecasting a successful summit in Hanoi this week, that will require substance over spectacle.

Domestically, Mr Trump risks disappointing his supporters if he fails to produce results, plus he needs some big headlines to distract from bad news at home — North Korea knows this too.

The US media has high expectations; Trump has shifted his message

As Mr Trump arrived in Vietnam, he appeared to tamp down expectations.

"It's great to be with you, we had a very successful first summit," Mr Trump said as he greeted Mr Kim.

"Some people wanted to see it go quicker, but I was very happy with how we are doing."

He told reporters he thought the summit would be "very successful" and "possibly even greater" than the first summit.

He called his relationship with Mr Kim "very special" and "a really good one," adding that the dictator was a "great leader."

Remember that Mr Kim is responsible for the incarceration of hundreds of thousands of people in prison camps, and North Korea under his leadership is notorious for murdering dissenters.

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It's true that tensions have been low since the countries' first meeting last June.

North Korea hasn't fired any missiles since 2017 after a series of tests that triggered Mr Trump's infamous 'fire and fury' comments.

The country also handed over the remains of US servicemen from the Korean War and has released several US citizens who were imprisoned on questionable charges.

The US ceased military exercises with South Korea and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo travelled overseas four times to continue talks.

But those steps are mere symbols in the eyes of US media. They want to see missiles pulled apart and launch sites decommissioned within a specific timeframe.

Ahead of the first summit, Mr Trump touted his negotiation skills and promised complete and total denuclearisation.

The result of that meeting — a vague statement of peace without a tangible plan — didn't live up to the rhetoric, casting doubt over his capacity to execute a core campaign promise.

Concerns have since been raised that the Americans could be softening their stance from complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearisation to risk reduction and a mere freeze on the North Korean program.

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Mr Trump says he has "no pressing time schedule" when it comes to denuclearisation. His press secretary said the mere existence of a second summit is a victory.

There's concern inside the political set that Mr Trump, eager for a deal and chummy with the dictator, could cave and accept nothing at all.

Republican senator Lindsey Graham called the talks the "last, best chance" to end nuclear conflict peacefully.

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However, when asked by reporters whether he had softened his position as this summit began, the President said simply, "no".

Possible outcomes include a treaty ending the Korean War

The two world leaders enjoy dinner together in Hanoi. ( AP: Evan Vucci )

South Korean officials have suggested the White House could deliver a joint statement declaring an official end to the Korean War. South Korean president Moon Jae-in is supportive of the move.

Officially ending the war would be the kind of gesture you'd expect from a Nobel Prize chaser like Mr Trump.

Fighting ceased in 1953, but the US retains 28,500 troops in South Korea as a deterrent. Withdrawing those troops, or at least reducing numbers and calling them peacekeepers, would likely be the next step.

But what would the Trump administration ask for in return?

South Korean officials have hinted at a peace treaty, spelling out steps for North Korea's "full and verifiable denuclearisation."

While North Korea has agreed to dismantle one of its facilities, it's unlikely to commit to doing anything with the others unless the US eases economic sanctions.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US has no intention of lifting sanctions without seeing progress on denuclearisation.

And as sanctions remain the only true leverage the US has over North Korea, there's reason to believe Mr Pompeo means what he says.

Yet, Mr Trump is under pressure to deliver a flashy result.

There's an election on the horizon, for one.

And, he could use some good news to latch onto and shout about in what's shaping up to be a tumultuous week.

Trump's focus will compete with a hectic news week

The Mueller report, though no longer expected this week, is still a mainstay in the news cycle, looming over Mr Trump.

On Sunday (local time), Academy Awards presenter Maya Rudolph reminded the audience "Mexico is not paying for the wall", and nominee Spike Lee characterised the 2020 presidential election as a "moral choice between love versus hate".

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed a resolution of disapproval concerning the President's national emergency declaration.

And then there's the President's former fixer, Michael Cohen, and his televised testimony to the House Oversight Committee.

Because of his intimate knowledge of Mr Trump's business dealings and hush money payments, Mr Cohen is a big distraction.

The lawyer's opening statement was published just hours before the first events of the summit.

Judging by his tweets, the President had a peek at the comments, which call him a racist, a cheat and fundamentally disloyal.

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We'll see if being 12 time zones away is enough to focus Mr Trump's attention — let alone America's attention — on the meeting at hand.

For the world's sake, let's hope he can control his own fire and fury, while he meets with the man who could unleash it.