US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has said that three Korean-Americans that were being held by North Korea are now on a plane back to the United States.
Trump tweeted this afternoon that the detainees were returning to the US with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who also held a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump tweeted:
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.
Trump added that he is planning to meet with the three men when they land on US soil early tomorrow morning.
Pompeo had travelled to Pyongyang to discuss preparations for a summit between Trump and Kim.
Despite the planned historic meeting, the three Korean-Americans detained in the North had been a significant domestic issue.
Kim Dong-chul, a South Korea-born American pastor, has been detained in the North since 2015 when he was arrested for spying. He was sentenced to 10 years’ hard labour in 2016.
Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang-duk — or Tony Kim — were both working at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, founded by evangelical Christians from overseas, when they were detained last year on suspicion of “hostile acts”.
Six South Koreans are also being held — three Christian missionaries and three defectors originally from the North — with Seoul also pushing for their release.
With reporting by © – AFP 2018
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