By Sohn JiAe

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has returned home with three U.S. citizens who had been detained in North Korea, as he visited Pyeongyang on May 9 to prepare for the planned North Korea-U.S. summit.

The three Americans are all ethnic Korean -- Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak Song and Tony Kim -- and were arrested by the North Korean authorities in North Korea between 2015 and 2017.

The White House said in a statement that, “President Donald Trump appreciates North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s action to release these American citizens and views this as a positive gesture of good will.”

“The three Americans appear to be in good condition and were all able to walk on the plane without assistance. All Americans look forward to welcoming them home and to seeing them reunited with their loved ones,” the statement said.

The U.S. secretary’s visit to North Korea came after about 40 days since his previous visit there that took place from March 31 to April 1. During the one-day visit, Pompeo had a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to finalize details of the upcoming Pyeongyang-Washington summit, such as the date and the venue.

The secretary of state left a message on his Twitter feed, saying, “I had productive meetings in Pyeongyang with Kim and made progress. I look forward to planning a successful summit between President Trump and Kim.”

Cheong Wa Dae welcomed the North’s decision, too. Presidential Senior Secretary for Public Relations Yoon Young-chan said in a written press release that, “The decision will serve as such a positive factor that leads to the success of the U.S.-North Korea summit. In particular, the release of the three U.S. detainees gives significant meaning, in that they are all Korean-American.”

“In their summit on April 27 in Panmunjeom, President Moon Jae-in asked the North Korean leader for the release of six South Korean detainees being held by the regime,” the secretary said. “We hope that the release of the six South Koreans will happen soon, as this would even further facilitate reconciliation between the two Koreas and help further boost the spring of peace that has arrived on the Korean Peninsula.”



jiae5853@korea.kr