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Meet the last 3 Americans detained by North Korea, who might soon be released
Meet the last 3 Americans detained by North Korea, who might soon be released
John HaltiwangerMay 4, 2018, 02:29 IST
People watch a TV news report on screen, showing portraits of three Americans, Kim Dong Chul, left, Tony Kim and Kim Hak Song, right, detained in the North Korea at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South KoreaAhn Young-joon/AP
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The Trump administration is reportedly close to securing the release of three US citizens who've been detained in North Korea.
Pyongyang is seemingly open to agreeing to their release amid an impending summit between Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump regarding the rogue state's nuclear program.
The three individuals - Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang-duk - are the last Americans being held by the reclusive nation.
The Trump administration is reportedly close to securing the release of three US citizens who've been detained in North Korea.
Pyongyang is seemingly open to agreeing to their release in relation to an impending summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump regarding the rogue state's nuclear program.
The three individuals - Kim Dong-chul, Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang-duk - are the last Americans being held by the reclusive nation. They have reportedly been held in a labor camp.
On Wednesday, Trump took to Twitter to discuss this, telling Americans to "stay tuned" for more details.
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"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. Stay tuned!" Trump tweeted.
North Korea has detained a number of foreigners over the years, often for vague and dubious reasons.
The story of Otto Warmbier is perhaps the most infamous instance of an American being detained in North Korea. The 22-year-old American student was detained for 17 months in North Korea and was returned to the US with "severe brain damage and in a nonresponsive state" in June 2017. He died on June 19, 2017.
Warmbier's parents recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the North Korean government, which could complicate recent diplomatic developments between the US and Kim's regime.
He was convicted of espionage, after reportedly apologizing, during a press conference organized by North Korea, for attempting to steal military secrets for South Korea. He was sentenced to 10 years hard labor.
Kim was born in South Korea but formerly lived in Fairfax, Virginia. At the time of his arrest, he was living in Rason, North Korea, running a trading and hotel services company.
Kim reportedly has a wife and two daughters living in China, but he's been unable to contact them while a prisoner in North Korea. He's in his early 60s, having identified himself as 62 in a CNN interview in January 2016.
Kim Hak-song
Kim Hak-song was arrested in May 2017 and accused of committing "hostile acts" against the state.
Prior to his detention, he worked in agricultural development at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology.
Kim is ethnically Korean but was born in China near the North Korean border. He came to the US in the 1990s, studied in California, and eventually became a US citizen. Many details about Kim, including his age, remain elusive.
Kim Sang-duk, also known as Tony Kim
Kim Sang-duk, also known as Tony Kim, was born in South Korea but became a naturalized US citizen.
Kim, 59, was detained in North Korea in April 2017 while attempting to leave the country at the airport in the North Korean capital. He was accused of "hostile criminal acts with an aim to subvert the country."
Prior to his arrest, Kim had spent a month working at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. He taught accounting at Yanbian University of Science and Technology in China before heading to Pyongyang.
Kim had reportedly made multiple trips to North Korea in the past to do humanitarian work.
