American
prisoners held in North Korea on their way home after Pompeo visit, Trump says
Secretary of State Pompeo secures the release of 3
American hostages detained in North Korea ahead of the highly anticipated
meeting with Kim Jong Un. John Roberts reports from the White House.
Three American prisoners held in North Korea have been
released and are en route to the U.S. after a surprise diplomatic mission by
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, President Trump announced Wednesday.
Pompeo is returning with the Americans, said to be in
"good health," after a brief visit to Pyongyang. Trump said he plans
to greet them at Andrews Air Force Base when they arrive outside
Washington.
“I am pleased to inform you that Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo is in the air and on his way back from North Korea with the 3 wonderful
gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting,” Trump tweeted,
referring to the prisoners. “They seem to be in good health.”
________________
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
I am pleased to inform you that Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo is in the air and on his way back from North Korea with the 3 wonderful
gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting. They seem to be in
good health. Also, good meeting with Kim Jong Un. Date & Place set.
____________
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
Secretary Pompeo and his
“guests” will be landing at Andrews Air Force Base at 2:00 A.M. in the morning.
I will be there to greet them. Very exciting!
_______________
Pompeo told reporters during the initial leg of the
flight to Japan that he’s “thrilled” to have the Americans back.
Trump
also said that a date and location have now been set for his meeting with Kim
Jong Un.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a
statement that Trump “appreciates leader Kim Jong Un’s action to release these
American citizens, and views this as a positive gesture of goodwill.”
“The three Americans appear to be in good condition and
were all able to walk on the plane without assistance,” she said.
Pompeo arrived in North Korea on Tuesday to prepare for
the upcoming summit between the two leaders. Trump, announcing Pompeo’s visit,
had hinted at the possibility of the prisoners' release.
“We will soon be finding out,” he said Tuesday when asked
at the White House whether the prisoners would be freed. “It would be a great
thing if they are, we’ll soon be finding out.”
Pompeo was heading to North Korea just as Trump announced
the U.S. would pull back from the Iran nuclear agreement. Trump is hoping to
now make headway against North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
Ahead of the planned summit, Trump hinted last week that
the release of the prisoners was imminent, saying in a tweet: “stay tuned.”
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that it would be seen as “a sign
of good will” if North Korea released the prisoners.
The Americans were all detained or sentenced within the
last couple years.
Kim Dong Chul, a South Korea-born U.S. citizen and former
Virginia resident, was sentenced in April 2016 to 10 years in prison with hard
labor after being convicted of espionage. He reportedly ran a trade and hotel
service company in Rason, a special economic zone on North Korea's border with
Russia.
Tony Kim was detained at Pyongyang's airport in April
2017 and accused of unspecified "hostile acts" against the regime. He
taught accounting at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. In a
statement, Kim's family thanked "all of those who have worked toward and
contributed to his return home."
Kim Hak Song, an ethnic Korean born in China, was
detained in May 2017 for "hostile acts." He worked in agricultural
development at an experimental farm run by the Pyongyang University of Science
and Technology, which was founded in 2010 with donations from Christian groups.
Another American detainee, Otto Warmbier, died in June
2017 -- just days after he was brought back to the U.S. with severe brain
damage. He had been arrested in January 2016 and accused of stealing a
propaganda poster and was sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor.
Pompeo’s short trip is the latest move in a constantly
evolving diplomatic situation in the region. Kim met with Chinese President Xi
Jinping in China on Tuesday, the second meeting in recent months, and also met
this month with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in South Korea.
During the summit, the two discussed denuclearization and
declared a formal end to the Korean War. The North Korean regime has also
claimed it will end its nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile
testing program.
Fox News' Caleb Parke and The Associated
Press contributed to this report.
Adam Shaw is a Politics Reporter and
occasional Opinion writer for FoxNews.com. He can be reached
