President Trump congratulated the three Americans who were released from captivity in North Korea upon their arrival at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington early Thursday morning.
The three men, Kim Dong-chul, Tony Kim and Kim Hak-song, were brought back to the U.S. by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo following a whirlwind trip to Pyongyang, his second in the last month, to set the table for Trump’s much-anticipated summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.
“This is a special night for these three really great people,” Trump told reporters, while standing next to the three former detainees at around 3 a.m. “And congratulations on being in this country.”
Trump: “This is a special night for these three really great people. And congratulations on being in this country.” pic.twitter.com/fcolgIL87j
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) May 10, 2018
Trump praised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the release of the three men, but would not say whether he had spoken with Kim ahead of high-stakes talks between the two countries about denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.
“My proudest achievement will be, this is a part of it, will be when we denuclearize that entire peninsula,” Trump said. “This is what people have been waiting for, for a long time … The true honor is going to be if we have a victory in getting rid of nuclear weapons.”
Trump: “My proudest achievement will be, this is a part of it, will be when we denuclearize that entire peninsula.” pic.twitter.com/EelCY5unXQ
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) May 10, 2018
Trump was accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, second lady Karen Pence and Pompeo.
The president and first lady entered the medical plane carrying the detainees to welcome them back to the states. A few minutes later, they exited the plane with the three Americans, waving and smiling.
“It’s like a dream,” a translator said of how the men feel to be home.
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet three Americans who were held by North Korea. pic.twitter.com/PT10ecJH6T
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) May 10, 2018
The three men are being taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., to evaluate their health and medical treatment.
Trump asked the men to speak about their treatment while they were detained in North Korea. One of the men said he had to do “a lot of labor,” but was given medical attention when he got sick.
Trump also used the moment to pay his respects to Otto Warmbier, an American college student who was held in captivity in North Korea for 17 months and died a week after he returned to the U.S. in a non-responsive state last summer.
“I want to pay my warmest respects to the parents of Otto Warmbier, who was a great young man, who really suffered. His parents have become friends of ours,” Trump said, noting that he and Pence had spoken with Fred and Cindy Warmbier in recent days.
Trump: “I want to pay my warmest respects to the parents of Otto [Warmbier]” pic.twitter.com/w1JgHp3Vxd
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) May 10, 2018
One of the newly freed Americans, Pastor Kim Dong-chul, had been imprisoned since 2015. The other two — Kim Sang Duk and Kim Hak Song — were seized in 2017.
“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,” the three Americans said in a statement released by the State Department on Wednesday. “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.”
Their release won praise even from the administration’s harshest critics. “I commend Secretary Pompeo, and look forward to discussing his trips to Pyongyang upon his return,” said New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, who led the opposition to Pompeo’s confirmation as secretary of state from his perch as the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee. “[T]hese three Americans, two taken hostage in the last 15 months, never should have been arbitrarily imprisoned by North Korea. This is, nevertheless, a very positive sign for the possibility of a diplomatic pathway to denuclearization, peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”
Still, lawmakers and analysts expressed skepticism that the release signals sincere North Korean willingness to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. “We must approach North Korea’s recent overtures and the potential for talks over denuclearization with great caution, and I believe the administration fully understands that and is preparing in the appropriate way,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said Wednesday morning.
Trump is expected to meet with Kim in the next month. He has said a time and a place have been selected. Reports have indicated that the summit will take place in Singapore, but the White House has yet to make any formal announcements about logistics.
On behalf of the American people, WELCOME HOME! pic.twitter.com/hISaCI95CB
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2018
