The White House said Wednesday it views the release of three Americans detained in North Korea as a “positive gesture of goodwill” ahead of President Trump’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump tweeted Wednesday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who left for North Korea on Tuesday, was returning to the U.S. with the newly freed U.S. citizens, Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang Duk.
“President Trump appreciates leader Kim Jong Un’s action to release these American citizens, and views this as a positive gesture of goodwill,” the White House said in a statement. “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.”
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Release of 3 American detainees from North Korea "positive gesture of goodwill," White House says https://t.co/QlGp4vSq2c pic.twitter.com/4rk45b5cmV
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) May 9, 2018
This is unambiguously good news. A concrete confidence building measure from DPRK, at long last.
And yet, it must be noted that this is why you take hostages. So that you can appear to be conceding something in a negotiation when you've given up virtually nothing. https://t.co/uzqtiRAP77
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) May 9, 2018
Happy that these hostages have been released, but my suspicious nature compels me to ask just what did the US promise North Korea in exchange for the hostages? I can’t believe these men were released without something in return.
And please Donald — don’t follow up a good thing with something outrageously stupid as usually do.
Don't let Trump say he has made no concessions to Kim. Praising kidnapper for releasing hostages is a huge gift-wrapped chunk of US prestige
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) May 10, 2018
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