In a tweet late Wednesday night, U.S. President Donald Trump seemed to hint that North Korea is considering releasing three American hostages ahead of a potential summit.
“As everybody is aware, the past Administration has long been asking for three hostages to be released from a North Korean Labor camp, but to no avail,” read the tweet.
According to Reuters and AFP, three American men have been relocated and are receiving medical treatment ahead of the release, which is rumoured to take place at the pending summit. Reuters went on to report that the U.S. government was looking into reports that the hostages have been relocated.
The official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said there was no immediate confirmation of any change in the detainees’ status. Trump administration officials have pressed for their release as a show of goodwill by North Korea before the unprecedented U.S.-North Korea summit expected in late May or early June.
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The reports first surfaced on Wednesday, when South Korean media quotes a South Korean activist as saying that North Korea had relocated the hostages to a hotel on the outskirts of Pyongyang.
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Choi Soung-yong, the activist, told Reuters that Kim Hak-Song, Tony Kim and Kim Dong-Chul were moved in early April following instructions from superior authorities, citing residents in Pyongyang.
Trump referenced the negotiations to free the hostages at a news conference last month.
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“We are negotiating now. We are doing our very best,” Trump told reporters. “I think there’s a good chance of doing it. We’re having very good dialogue. We will keep you informed. But we are in there and we are working very hard on that.”
Kim Dong-Chul of Fairfax, Va., was initially detained in October 2015, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison on accusations of spying on the North Korean government. Officials claim he tried to steal military secrets for South Korea, USA Today reports.
The other two hostages, Tony Kim and Kim Hak-Song were arrested last year on charges of “hostile acts” and remain in custody, the report states.
The U.S. State Department said in a statement that “we cannot confirm the validity of these reports.”
“The welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad are one of the highest priorities of the Department of State. We are working to see U.S. citizens who are detained in North Korea come home as soon as possible,” she said.
Sol Kim, son of Tony Kim, said on social media that he is optimistic but has no indication that the hostages have been released.
“We are hopeful but we have no indication that they have been released. Thank you for your continued prayers and efforts to help bring them home,” he said.
— With files from Reuters
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