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| Trump welcomes home three Americans released by North Korea | Trump welcomes home three Americans released by North Korea |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Three Americans released by North Korea landed in the US in the early hours of Thursday, with Donald Trump waiting on the tarmac to greet their plane. | Three Americans released by North Korea landed in the US in the early hours of Thursday, with Donald Trump waiting on the tarmac to greet their plane. |
| The three men emerged from a US government plane, flashing peace signs high above their heads. A huge US flag hung between two fire trucks served as a backdrop against the night sky. | The three men emerged from a US government plane, flashing peace signs high above their heads. A huge US flag hung between two fire trucks served as a backdrop against the night sky. |
| “I want to thank Kim Jong-un,” Trump said. “I think he wants to do something and bring that country into the real world.” | “I want to thank Kim Jong-un,” Trump said. “I think he wants to do something and bring that country into the real world.” |
| “We didn’t think this was going to happen, and it did. It was very important to all of us,” he said, referring to the prisoner release. “The true honour will be if we have a victory in getting rid of nuclear weapons.” | “We didn’t think this was going to happen, and it did. It was very important to all of us,” he said, referring to the prisoner release. “The true honour will be if we have a victory in getting rid of nuclear weapons.” |
| Trump later tweeted video clips of him congratulating the men aboard Air Force One. | Trump later tweeted video clips of him congratulating the men aboard Air Force One. |
| On behalf of the American people, WELCOME HOME! pic.twitter.com/hISaCI95CB | On behalf of the American people, WELCOME HOME! pic.twitter.com/hISaCI95CB |
| The triumphant return to American soil, despite what may emerge about conditions the men were held in, was very different from the arrival in the US of US student Otto Warmbier last June. | The triumphant return to American soil, despite what may emerge about conditions the men were held in, was very different from the arrival in the US of US student Otto Warmbier last June. |
| Warmbier, 22, came back with severe brain damage, after being sentenced to hard labour for taking a propaganda poster while on a short tourism trip to the secretive dictatorship, and died just days afterwards. His parents are suing North Korea. | Warmbier, 22, came back with severe brain damage, after being sentenced to hard labour for taking a propaganda poster while on a short tourism trip to the secretive dictatorship, and died just days afterwards. His parents are suing North Korea. |
| This week, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, flew to Pyongyang for a surprise one-day visit , when he met the North Korean leader and secured the release of the three men. | |
| “It’s like a dream and we are very happy,” Kim Dong-chul, one of the freed men, said. “We were treated in many different ways, I had to do labour.” | “It’s like a dream and we are very happy,” Kim Dong-chul, one of the freed men, said. “We were treated in many different ways, I had to do labour.” |
| The three were then taken to a nearby military hospital for health checks. | The three were then taken to a nearby military hospital for health checks. |
| The emancipation of Tony Kim, Kim Hak-song and Kim Dong-chul was secured less than an hour before Pompeo was due to depart. A photo of him shaking hands with Kim Jong-un was printed on the front page of the Rodong Sinmun , the official newspaper of the ruling Workers’ party. | The emancipation of Tony Kim, Kim Hak-song and Kim Dong-chul was secured less than an hour before Pompeo was due to depart. A photo of him shaking hands with Kim Jong-un was printed on the front page of the Rodong Sinmun , the official newspaper of the ruling Workers’ party. |
| The Americans were released following a brief legal ceremony and a warning from a North Korean official: “You should take care that they do not make the same mistakes again. This was a hard decision.” | The Americans were released following a brief legal ceremony and a warning from a North Korean official: “You should take care that they do not make the same mistakes again. This was a hard decision.” |
| Kim Jong-un “accepted an official suggestion of the US president” to free the three prisoners, according to a report from the official Korean Central News Agency, which also carried the first mention of the two leaders’ planned summit in North Korean media. Trump has referred to the three men as hostages and the US government has described them as political pawns. | Kim Jong-un “accepted an official suggestion of the US president” to free the three prisoners, according to a report from the official Korean Central News Agency, which also carried the first mention of the two leaders’ planned summit in North Korean media. Trump has referred to the three men as hostages and the US government has described them as political pawns. |
| Tony Kim and Kim Hak-song were arrested about a year ago and Kim Dong-chul in 2015. They were all accused of anti-North Korea activities. | Tony Kim and Kim Hak-song were arrested about a year ago and Kim Dong-chul in 2015. They were all accused of anti-North Korea activities. |
| “We would like to express our deep appreciation to the United States government, President Trump, Secretary Pompeo and the people of the United States for bringing us home,” the three said in a joint statement released by the state department. | |
| “We thank God, and all our families and friends who prayed for us and for our return. God bless America, the greatest nation in the world.” | “We thank God, and all our families and friends who prayed for us and for our return. God bless America, the greatest nation in the world.” |
| The fact that US national security staff and other diplomats accompanied Pompeo on his visit suggested negotiations were taking place in the hope of being able to announce some sort of agreement when Trump and Kim meet, according to Victor Cha, the Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. | The fact that US national security staff and other diplomats accompanied Pompeo on his visit suggested negotiations were taking place in the hope of being able to announce some sort of agreement when Trump and Kim meet, according to Victor Cha, the Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. |
| “Given that diplomacy is often about momentum, the next likely step might be North Korea inviting international media to view the shutdown of the nuclear test site,” Cha, who was once considered for the post of US ambassador to Seoul, wrote in a blogpost. | |
| “The release of the three detainees does not absolve the regime of a history of human rights abuses that must be the topic of any discussion going forward on normalising political relations between the US and North Korea.” | “The release of the three detainees does not absolve the regime of a history of human rights abuses that must be the topic of any discussion going forward on normalising political relations between the US and North Korea.” |
| Pyongyang is also holding six South Koreans and about eight Japanese citizens. Seoul and Tokyo are pressing for their release. | Pyongyang is also holding six South Koreans and about eight Japanese citizens. Seoul and Tokyo are pressing for their release. |
| The Associated Press contributed to this report | The Associated Press contributed to this report |
| Donald Trump | Donald Trump |
| Mike Pompeo | Mike Pompeo |
| North Korea | North Korea |
| Kim Jong-un | Kim Jong-un |
| Asia Pacific | |
| news | news |
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