North Korea Shows Sign Of Goodwill Releasing U.S. Detainees

North Korea has been meeting with other nation leaders of South Korea and China, in anticipation for summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Kim Jong Un met with U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, agrees to release three U.S. detainees.

As a gesture of goodwill Kim Jong Un released detainees from the U.S. while cooperating with U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. During Pompeo’s recent visit to Pyongyang he met with Kim Jong Un to work out the details of the release and the details of the upcoming summit with President Trump.

Kim Hak-song, Tony Kim, and Dong-chu have been jailed for anti-state activities and placed in labor camps. When released the men were able to “walk to the place without assistance,” the White House reports.

Kim Dong-chul is a pastor in his early 60s and was detained in 2015 for espionage, he was sentenced 10 years of hard labor.

Tony Kim or Kim Sang-duk was detained in April 2017 for espionage charges. He worked at PUST pre-arrest with South Korean media confirming that he was involved in humanitarian work for North Korea.

Kim Hak-song entered North Korea as a Christian missionary with the goal of starting an experimental farm at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST). He was detained in May 2017 on suspicion of “hostile acts”.

The conviction of these men are seen as an abuse of human rights. The men are expected to arrive at he Andrews Air Force Base on Thursday, at which President Trump plans to attend to greet the released detainees.

With the controversy behind detainment in North Korea is due to the condition of the released detainee, Otto Warmbier, back in 2017. He was detained for stealing a sign at a hotel in North Korea and was released in such a poor status of health that he dies shortly after being released. The cause of death was undetermined but many point to the treatment he received in North Korea as a determinant of how his health declined.

Through the releasing of the these detainees this shows progress in North Korea’s delegation process, while being open to foster more positive international affairs with other nation leaders.