Prisoner Release Accomplished

Prisoner Release Accomplished
N. Korea released three Americans held captive; the men returned to the U.S. with Pompeo - Washington Times

North Korea on Wednesday released three U.S. citizens who had been held captive, another sign of goodwill ahead of a planned summit with President Trump. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo secured their release during his second meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and left the country with the three Americans aboard his plane.

Mr. Trump made the announcement Wednesday morning, Washington time. The longest-held prisoner was Kim Dong-chul, a 64-year-old formerly of Fairfax, Virginia, who was arrested in October 2015. He was sentenced in 2016 to 10 years in prison on charges of espionage and subversion.

Tony Kim, 59, had been detained at Pyongyang's airport as he prepared to depart in April 2017. He was arrested for "committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn" North Korea.

Kim Hak-song, an agricultural consultant, was detained also in the spring of 2017.

Mr. Trump greeted the returning Americans at Andrews Air Force Base in suburban Maryland when they arrived on a government plane around 2 A.M.