BREAKING REPORT North Korea Just Freed American Prisoners
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A new report out, claims North Korea has already freed 3 American prisoners, just ahead of the historic summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-Un.
While the State Dept. won’t confirm reports, South Korean media is reporting the release has taken place.
North Korea is reported to have freed three detained Americans from a labour camp and moved them to a hotel near Pyongyang ahead of a planned meeting between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump.
The US president appeared to take credit for the trio’s imminent release, which he claimed his predecessor Barack Obama’s administration had “long been asking for… to no avail”.
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The US government has been pressing for the prisoners to be freed as a show of goodwill ahead of the two leaders’ unprecedented summit, planned for late May or early next month.
US officials on Thursday said they had received no confirmation of the detainees’ release, first reported in the South Korean media, but Mr Trump hinted at developments in a tweet.
“As everybody is aware, the past Administration has long been asking for three hostages to be released from a North Korean Labor camp, but to no avail,” he wrote. “Stay tuned!”
Only one of the American citizens, Kim Dong-chul, has been in custody since before the Republican’s election. The two others, Kim Hak-song and Tony Kim, were detained after last spring as tensions between the US and North Korea ramped up.
Last month Mr Trump said his government was working “very diligently to get the three Americans back”.
A South Korean activist with contacts in the Pyongyang said the detainees had been moved to hotel in early April following instructions from authorities.
The US and North Korea “seem to have decided on a date to release these people,” said the activist, Choi Soung-yong. “North Korea probably wants to straighten out their affairs, rehabilitate them.”
The activist added the three were being kept in separate rooms in the same hotel and said he did not know what had happened to them since they were relocated.
“We cannot confirm the validity of these reports,” a US State Department spokeswoman said.
“The welfare and safety of US citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State, she added. “We are working to see US citizens who are detained in North Korea come home as soon as possible.”