U.S. checks reports three American detainees relocated in North Korea: official

[May 03, 2018]  WASHINGTON/SEOUL (Reuters) - The U.S. government is looking into reports that three Americans detained in North Korea have been relocated from a labor camp to a hotel near Pyongyang ahead of a planned summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, a U.S. official said on Wednesday.

The official, speaking 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.

"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 said in a Twitter post late on Wednesday.

CNN, in a report on Thursday, cited an unnamed source saying the release of the three men was imminent, adding that the groundwork for the move came two months ago when North Korea's foreign minister traveled to Sweden and proposed the idea.

South Korean media reports on Wednesday quoted a South Korean activist as saying North Korea had relocated the three Americans from a labor camp to a hotel on the outskirts of Pyongyang. 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.

The United States and North Korea "seem to have decided on a date to release these people," said Choi. "North Korea probably wants to straighten out their affairs; rehabilitate them."

The activist added the three were being kept in separate rooms in the same hotel and said he did not know what had happened to them since being relocated.

Tony Kim, one of the three Americans being held captive by North Korea, is seen in this photo taken in California in 2016, released to Reuters by the family of Tony Kim March 11, 2018. Courtesy of the family of Tony Kim/Handout via REUTERS

"We cannot confirm the validity of these reports," a U.S. State Department spokeswoman said.

"The welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad is 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.

Randall Brandt, a spokesman for Tony Kim’s family, said in an email: “While we are encouraged by overall momentum, the family has no indication of a release and has had no contact with Tony since Ambassador Yun last June."

He was referring to Joseph Yun, the State Department's former North Korea negotiator, who saw the detainees on a visit to Pyongyang last year.

Sol Kim, the son of detainee Tony Kim, said on social media that he is optimistic but has no information.

"Thank you for your continued prayers and efforts to help bring them home," he said.

(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick, Susan Heavey, David Brunnstrom and Eric Walsh in Washington, Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas and Christine Kim in SEOUL; Editing by Peter Cooney, Cynthia Osterman, Lisa Shumaker and Nick Macfie)

[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.