Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

File pic: American missionary Kenneth Bae, right, leaves after speaking to reporters at Pyongyang Friendship Hospital in Pyongyang (January). AP/Press Association Images

Released from years of 'hard labour': Two Americans imprisoned by North Korea are being allowed home

Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller have been held for for two years and seven months, respectively.

THE US STATE Department has announced the release of two Americans who had been held by the government of North Korea.

“The Department of State welcomes the release of US citizens Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller from the DPRK, where they have been held for two years and seven months, respectively,” it said in a statement.

The State Department said the two Americans were freed with the help of US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who traveled to North Korea and “engaged on behalf of the United States in discussions with DPRK authorities about the release of two citizens,” the statement said.

A senior State Department official added that there was “no quid pro quo” for North Korea freeing the two Americans.

Their release comes just two weeks after Pyongyang freed American Jeffrey Fowle, 56, who was imprisoned in April after apparently leaving a Bible in a nightclub bathroom.

AP / Press Association Images - Mathew Miller, Jeffrey Fowle and Kenneth Bae AP / Press Association Images - Mathew Miller, Jeffrey Fowle and Kenneth Bae / Press Association Images - Mathew Miller, Jeffrey Fowle and Kenneth Bae

“The safety and welfare of US citizens abroad is the Department of State’s highest priority, and the United States has long called on DPRK authorities to release these individuals on humanitarian grounds. We join their families and friends in welcoming them home.”

Bae, a Korean-American missionary, earlier this week marked the two-year anniversary of his detention by the reclusive state.

The sickly 42-year-old was arrested in November 2012 and later sentenced to 15 years’ hard labour.

Miller, 24, had been sentenced to six years’ hard labour by the North Korean Supreme Court following his arrest in April, after he allegedly ripped up his visa at immigration and demanded asylum.

Washington has condemned Pyongyang over the detentions, saying the Americans were held as political hostages to extract diplomatic concessions.

- © AFP 2014

Read: Parents of 3 children killed in MH17 crash release heartbreaking statement

Read: Bodies of Mexican students burned by gang in 14-hour inferno

Author
View 36 comments
Close
36 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute cosmological
    Favourite cosmological
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 5:15 PM

    Hard labour in N Korea, lucky to survive – very happy for them.

    178
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alanearls
    Favourite Alanearls
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 6:29 PM

    Who brings a bible to a nightclub??

    108
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Cian Monaghan
    Favourite Cian Monaghan
    Report
    Nov 9th 2014, 1:37 AM

    There’s nightclubs in North Korea?

    36
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Coco McDee
    Favourite Coco McDee
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 5:22 PM

    We might as well be in North Korea the way our media is controlled

    72
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Banga Ncube
    Favourite Banga Ncube
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 5:27 PM

    Elect SF/IRA and you will wish that you lived in N Korea.

    112
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Adrian™
    Favourite Adrian™
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 5:28 PM

    That’s a ridiculous statement, maybe you should travel there and say that to them and see how ya get on!

    83
    See 7 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute J
    Favourite J
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 5:28 PM

    Coco loco

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tweety McTweeter
    Favourite Tweety McTweeter
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 5:29 PM

    Yep. North Korea, Ireland. Practically the same thing.

    85
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alan Ryan
    Favourite Alan Ryan
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 5:30 PM

    Was thinking the same thing Coco. Careful now or the journal might remove your comment.

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute dabuyincojen
    Favourite dabuyincojen
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 5:34 PM

    Coco..I agree!! For example I made a comment on TheJournal.ie this morning and it was taken down..freedom of speech, ya sure!! Freedom is an illusion!!!!!!!!

    45
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brendan Julian
    Favourite Brendan Julian
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 5:44 PM

    Banga the troll strikes again with his famous sf/ira argument

    41
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Adrian™
    Favourite Adrian™
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 5:44 PM

    @dabuyincojen having a comment taken down as your punishment is preferable to being tortured I’d like to think though

    33
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute thetruth
    Favourite thetruth
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 5:48 PM

    I made a point last night on an article. The grammar in daid article was atrocious. Comment got deleted, grammar corrected

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Anne Marie Devlin
    Favourite Anne Marie Devlin
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 5:24 PM

    Haven’t the north Koreans suffered enough without the intervention of the god squad! If they were doing something that would benefit the people in drnk, I might have sympathy, but trying to enslave them to a fictional character…

    47
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kris Morephy
    Favourite Kris Morephy
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 5:41 PM

    That’s so funny. Gonna use that line myself.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kris Morephy
    Favourite Kris Morephy
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 5:43 PM

    That’s the funniest thing I’d heard in ages! Thatll go on the list of things to say next time the bible bashers arrive at the door

    1
    See 8 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kris Morephy
    Favourite Kris Morephy
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 5:43 PM

    That’s the funniest thing I’d heard in ages! Thatll go on the list of things to say next time the bible bashers arrive at the door

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Declan Noonan
    Favourite Declan Noonan
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 6:05 PM

    They cannot get anymore enslaved then what they are now.

    40
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ryan Carroll
    Favourite Ryan Carroll
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 8:30 PM

    Its getting disturbingly common with ‘liberal’ people not understanding their own supposed liberalism.
    They believe in freedom until someones doing something they don’t like, then suddenly they wanna mock or obstruct that freedom.
    I’ve found it a better exercise to try to show religious people some respect and try to understand where they are coming from, why they think the way they do etc, and generally if you approach them like that they treat you back the same then, and everyone comes out of it understanding each other a little better. It is possible for two intelligent people to look at the same data and come to diff conclusions, someone else not agreeing with you does not make them a moron by default.

    Some supposed liberals need to sneer a little less and understand a little more, when you look down on people, sneer at them and mock them it does not make them any more likely to come around to your point of view.

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ablitive
    Favourite Ablitive
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 9:37 PM

    Declan Noonan .. AT least DPNK dose not hold statistics for having the highest incarceration rate on the face of this planet.

    # US Slave Labor in Private Prisons.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mick Jordan
    Favourite Mick Jordan
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 10:46 PM

    LOL Frank they don’t need stats. The entire country is a prison camp. Even young Kims own family aren’t safe. Remember what he did to his uncle.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Silent Majority
    Favourite Silent Majority
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 11:40 PM

    Ryan, modern day liberals have no idea what liberalism means. The other day a lot of these “liberals” were out in support of the NI authorities attempting to gag that unfortunate baker, while liberals also regularly call for the destruction of the Church & even reported a priest for making reference to the arrows of secularism. Anyone who disagrees with their supposedly liberal agenda should be silenced, by force of the state if necessary, and if you argue with them you’re labelled a bigot. Very few actual liberals would consider freedom of expression, freedom of religion, or freedom of conscience to be bigoted or conservative values. These right-on “liberals” are dangerous people, their fascist agenda is advancing in society, and they do need to be challenged.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ablitive
    Favourite Ablitive
    Report
    Nov 9th 2014, 1:38 AM

    Mick Jordan .. That is a serious understatement.

    GAZA is a greater example of a prison camp and what dose the united States do?

    They replenish Israels entire stock of Hellfire missiles IMMEDIATELY after they bombed the crap out of the country slaughtering 500+ Children.

    http://s9.postimg.org/72zznaqa7/car465.jpg
    .

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jason Doyle
    Favourite Jason Doyle
    Report
    Nov 9th 2014, 1:14 PM

    And make a fortune doing it.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Declan Noonan
    Favourite Declan Noonan
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 6:05 PM

    There will be silence from frank on this

    37
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ablitive
    Favourite Ablitive
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 9:41 PM

    No . Similar cases of unjust miscarriages of Justice happen all the time in the United States except we do not hear about them.

    # Media Blackout.

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mick Jordan
    Favourite Mick Jordan
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 6:32 PM

    The White House is claiming that they gave the North Korean nothing in return. I find that hard to believe. Obama has already being caught trying to do back door deals with Iran. And I doubt young Kim would roll over and play nice just because Admiral Clapped talked nice to him. Obama as already released terrorists from Gitmo to get the traitor Bergdhal back. So assurances from the Obama White House carry as much weight as smoke on a windy day.

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ryan Carroll
    Favourite Ryan Carroll
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 8:25 PM

    I’m always amazed that Irish people who take sides in internal US politics despite having no friends family or connections to the country, I’ve always found it strange and so do they. My cousins have no opinion on FF v FG and they find it odd when a European takes sides in their politics, esp since for most of them both parties are as bad as each other.

    Anyone who’s been watching North Korea for any length of time knows they use threats of violence to extort aid out of the rest of us. That’s what they do, but they want it done in secret so they won’t have to admit their insane economic system hasn’t worked.
    I’m not aware of them releasing people from Gitmo other than the people who turned out to be innocent , and it was Bush who released most of those, Obama would never release guilty people he’s a spineless wimp when it comes to the GOP he’d never risk giving them an open shot like that. You also should recall if you know a lot about US politics that it’s not just democratic presidents who make those kind of deals, given the Iran Contra affair

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mick Jordan
    Favourite Mick Jordan
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 10:44 PM

    Ryan many of us do have family and friends in the US. Some are even serving in the US military.

    13
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Freddie Rincon
    Favourite Freddie Rincon
    Report
    Nov 9th 2014, 4:54 AM

    Some of those released like Bae are right numpties. I have sympathy for the average north korean. Not people who try and break into prisons.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jason Doyle
    Favourite Jason Doyle
    Report
    Nov 9th 2014, 1:06 PM

    Are you serious?
    America is a super power.
    There actions have a knock on effect globally, that’s why people have a opinion on what happens in American politics.
    People are interested in who there going to invade next.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Matt Byrne
    Favourite Matt Byrne
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 6:02 PM

    That’s it. Uninstall journal. …

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Praise Hope
    Favourite Praise Hope
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 10:40 PM

    Ah North Korea, athiesm at it’s finest.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ablitive
    Favourite Ablitive
    Report
    Nov 9th 2014, 1:46 AM

    Can’t be any more atheistic than Western Government.

    # Those that fund and arm Christian murdering head hackers to carry out their proxy warfare in the middle east

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Matthew Donoghue
    Favourite Matthew Donoghue
    Report
    Nov 8th 2014, 11:13 PM

    that lad doesnt look like hes been through two and a half weeks of hard labour, never mind two and a half years.

    2
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.