Ahead of Trump-Kim summit, North Korea frees three American prisoners

Ahead of the landmark summit between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, North Korea on Wednesday freed three Americans from imprisonment.

A plane carrying the three Americans freed landed at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington early on Thursday morning.

On hand to greet them in the middle of the night at Joint Base Andrews was President Trump, who was preparing for a historic summit with North Korean leader Kim.

Trump, in a tweet, made the announcement and said, “The secretary is in the air and on his way back from North Korea with the 3 wonderful gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting.”

North Korea handed the three Americans prisoners into the custody of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his visit to the North Korean capital Pyongyang.  

During the visit, Pompeo met with several top North Korean officials, including Kim to discuss his summit with Trump and finalised the time and venue for the meeting.

According to the sources, Trump and Kim will not meet in the demilitarised zone between North Korea and South Korea and Singapore was being considered as the venue for the historic summit.