Three U.S. Citizens Released from North Korean Prison Camps in Preparation for Trump-Kim Summit

In response to the upcoming historic summit that is to take place between North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, the North Korean leader has released three U.S. citizens who had been detained for years in regime-built prison camps.

This comes as the dictator agrees to yet another one of President Trump’s requests in preparation for the upcoming summit. The two countries have been adversaries for quite a while.

This concession comes after Mr. Kim agreed to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula earlier this year

Agreeing to requests

Although the dictator seems to be collaborating, Trump critics still fear that the dictator might pull out at the last minute; potentially reverting to empower the Pyongyang communist regime.

With such fears alleviated, the President has put together a special team to fast-pace the negotiation strategy and reap early benefits. However, there is still a lot to do to get Mr. Kim to surrender his nuclear weapons.

Negotiation team working round the clock

In a statement, former CIA chief and now Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said that the team was still in its early stages of negotiation, with the outcome yet to be determined. However, the Secretary of State is confident that past negotiation errors will not be made. This time around, the negotiation team is determined to solve the North Korean-American deadlock once and for all. A negative deal is not an option.

The team is not only being headed by Mr. Pompeo, but also National Security Adviser John R. Bolton. He recently got the stamp of approval from former U.S. intelligence officer, Joseph R. DeTrani; who once served as special envoy in 2009 to conduct talks with North Korea.

The U.S. citizens were later released from a labor camp last week, and it’s reported that they are currently residing in a hotel on the outskirts of Pyongyang

Confidence from past negotiators

In a press statement, Mr, DeTrani believed that the special team to aide in negotiations was well prepared. He noted Mr. Pompeo as a key pillar in ensuring that the negotiations will succeed.

In a few days, an announcement of the expected time and location of the summit will be made. The top place for the summit to be conducted at the moment is the ‘Peace House’ in Singapore. A place located in the Demilitarized Zone between South Korea and North Korea has also been proposed.

Released Americans

The three Americans that were released were Pyongyang University workers Kim Sanf-duk and Kim hak-song, as well as businessman Kim Dong-chul. This follows as intense pressure was put in place by Mr. Trump and his team to conclude the final negotiations of the talks.

In fact, Mr. Bolton had insisted on the release of the aforementioned detainees, while it was reported that Mr. Pompeo even requested the North Korean leaders in an undisclosed meeting, to release the Americans.

However, the citizens still remain in the control of the Kim regime, and have currently been placed in a ‘tourist’ program. However, it is reported that their situation, as well as health and diet, have been improved dramatically.

The other U.S. citizens are expected to be released on the day of the U.S. North Korean Summit

A fast-paced negotiation strategy

Unlike its allies in South Korea and Japan, the United States has pushed for a fast-paced negotiation strategy that will result in the commitment from the Korean dictator to execute irreversible denuclearization by the time 2020 approaches; which is when President Trump will face re-election.

The difference this time with previously failed negotiations with North Korea is that President Trump, with the help of Mr. Bolton, is more prone to demand immediate action from the North Koreans.

The Trump wild-card

However, a few skeptics predict that the North Koreans will take advantage of the President’s erratic negotiation style as well as personality weaknesses. However, the previous mindset of negotiators in President George W. Bush, as well as the Barack Obama era, worked with the mantra, ‘just be patient.’