This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/may/10/trump-welcomes-home-three-americans-released-by-north-korea-pyongyang

The article has changed 12 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 7 Version 8
Trump welcomes home three Americans released by North Korea Trump welcomes home three Americans released by North Korea
(about 2 hours 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 were being assessed at a US military hospital on Thursday, not long after landing in the US in the early hours of the morning, 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. Just hours later, the date for the historic summit between Trump and Kim was announced by Trump on Twitter as 12 June, with the meeting to be held in Singapore.
After welcoming the captives home, Trump tweeted video clips of himself congratulating the men aboard Air Force One.
On behalf of the American people, WELCOME HOME! pic.twitter.com/hISaCI95CBOn 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 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. One of the returning men, Kim Dong-chul, said he had had to do labour while captive in North Korea. And in early morning interviews, Vice-President Mike Pence revealed that at least one of the men had been deprived of daylight while held.
Pence told ABC News that the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, who went to Pyongyang to fetch the men, told him that, during a refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska, on the way home “one of the detainees asked to go outside the plane because he hadn’t seen daylight in a very long time”.
Pompeo, flew to Pyongyang earlier in the week 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 the nearby Walter Reed 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.
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 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. Later on Thursday, Pence said about the forthcoming summit: “In this moment, the regime in North Korea has been dealing, as far as we can see, in good faith.”
“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. He added that despite Trump’s recent praise for Kim, the administration is not ignoring the North’s abysmal human rights record. He said: “We have no illusions about that.”
“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.
The Associated Press contributed to this reportThe Associated Press contributed to this report
Donald TrumpDonald Trump
Mike PompeoMike Pompeo
North KoreaNorth Korea
Kim Jong-unKim Jong-un
Asia PacificAsia Pacific
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on Google+Share on Google+
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content