North Korea’s release of US citizens will have “positive effect” on the upcoming US-North Korea summit, US President Donald Trump said Wednesday. Trump, however, revealed no information on the time and location of the meeting, again saying that the information will be revealed “soon,” according to Cheong Wa Dae.
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| President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump. Yonhap |
According to Seoul’s presidential office, the comments came in the comments came in a late night telephone conversation with President Moon Jae-in.
The telephone conversation came hours after Moon returned from meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Tokyo, where the three leaders issued a special statement supporting the Panmunjeom Declaration.
Wednesday also saw North Korea handing over three US citizens to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The secretary of state had arrived in Pyongyang early Wednesday to discuss issues concerning the summit, and left with the released hostages later in the day.
According to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom, Trump said that the hostages were in good shape, and that their release will have positive effects on the US-North Korea talks during his conversation with Moon.
Kim Eui-kyeom also said that Trump informed Moon that Pompeo and the North Korean leader held a “very productive discussion.”
The news of the hostages’ release was confirmed by Trump through Twitter that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would be returning with US citizens who had been detained in North Korea.
“I am pleased to inform you that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the air and on his way back from North Korea with the 3 wonderful gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting. They seem to be in good health. Also, good meeting with Kim Jong Un. Date & Place set,” Trump’s Tweet reads.
The hostages released are Kim Hak-song, Kim Sang-duk, and Kim Dong-chul. Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang-duk had been held since last year, while Kim Dong-chul had been held in the North since October 2015.
Seoul immediately welcomed the development, saying it is a positive development ahead of the US-North Korea summit.
“North Korea’s decision will have a very positive effect for the success of the North Korea-US summit,” Yoon Young-chan, President Moon Jae-in’s chief press secretary, said in a statement. He added that the fact that all three released detainees are of Korean descent is significant.
“President Moon Jae-in has asked Chairman Kim Jong-un to release the six Koreans detained in North Korea during the inter-Korean summit on April 27,” Yoon said, urging North Korea to release the detainees.
By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
