Free: prisoners’ release from North Korea a ‘goodwill sign’

Donald Trump will reveal the venue and date of his summit with Kim Jong-un within days after the release of three US hostages.

Donald and Melania Trump applaud as Kim Don-chul, second left, Kim Had-song, obscured, and Tony Kim emerge from the plane yesterday. Picture: AFP

Donald Trump will reveal the venue and date of his summit with Kim Jong-un within days after yesterday’s triumphant return to the US of three American hostages released by North Korea.

Their release has boosted relations between the US President and Kim ahead of the summit, raising hopes that a historic deal could be at hand to remove the nuclear threat posed by North Korea.

“We want to thank Kim Jong-un,” Mr Trump said as he stood beside the three released Americans at Andrews Air Force Base outside of Washington at 3am (5pm AEST). “I really think he wants to do something and bring his country into the real world.”

Mr Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence greeted the three. The President and his wife, Melania, boarded the plane when it landed before stepping out again alongside Kim Dong-chul, Kim Has-song and Tony Kim with a giant American flag as a backdrop.

They emerged with wide grins, waving their arms in triumph.

“This is a special night for these three really great people,” Mr Trump said. “Frankly, we didn’t think this was going to happen, and it did. It was a very important thing to all of us.”

Kim Dong-chul said through a translator: “It’s like a dream and we are very, very happy.”

Mr Trump said he was proud of their release but “the true honour” would be “when we denuclearise that entire peninsula”.

The three men were detained in 2016 and last year for suspected hostile acts or spying, although their detention was widely seen as politically motivated.

They were released after a surprise visit to North Korea by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

In a statement, the three men said: “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. 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 release was seen as a crucial sign of goodwill by Kim Jong-un ahead of the much anticipated summit that will mark the first meeting of a sitting US president and North Korean leader.

In comments attributed to Kim, the North Korean news agency thanked Mr Trump for showing a “deep interest in settling the issue through dialogue”. He said the summit would be an “excellent first step toward promotion of the positive situation development in the Korean Peninsula”.

The release came after a day of diplomacy in Pyongyang, where Mr Pompeo met Kim for 45 minutes. Mr Pompeo gave reporters a fingers-crossed sign as he left.

Soon after, it was confirmed the men would be released. They later emerged from a van and walked unassisted to Mr Pompeo’s plane.

Mr Trump said Mr Pompeo had confirmed the final details for the summit when he met with Kim during a 13-hour visit to Pyongyang, his second within a month.

“We’ve picked a time. We’ve picked a place for the meeting, or summit,” Mr Trump said. “And I think it’ll be very successful. But as I always say, who knows?”

He confirmed it would not be in the Korean demilitarised zone. Singapore is among the top contenders to host the leaders.

“I think this is something that nobody thought was going to happen for years or more,” he said. “And I really believe it’s going to be a great thing for North Korea, a great thing for South Korea and Japan.”

Yesterday’s prisoner release stands in contrast to the fate of US college student Otto Warmbier last June when relations between the US and Pyongyang were lowest. Warmbier was released with severe brain damage and died in hospital days after returning to the US. His parents are suing North Korea over his treatment.

Yesterday Fred and Cindy Warmbier said: “We are happy for the hostages and their families. We miss Otto.”