North Korea expected to free American prisoners before summit

US GOVERNMENT officials said last night that they were confident North Korea would release three American prisoners in a gesture ahead of Donald Trump’s summit with Kim Jong-un.

The Trump administration has been pressing for the release over the past few months as a show of goodwill by the rogue regime.

Mike Pompeo, Mr Trump’s secretary of state, discussed it when he visited Kim in Pyongyang at Easter. It was also on the agenda when Ri Yong-ho, North Korea’s foreign minister, visited Stockholm for talks with his Swedish counterpart Margot Wallström in March.

Kim Dong-chul, a South Koreaborn American pastor, was detained in North Korea in 2015 after being accused of spying, and sentenced to 10 years’ hard labour. Kim Hak-song and Kim Sang-duk were working at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology when they were detained for “hostile acts” last year.

Mr Trump fuelled speculation about the release on Twitter, saying: “The past administration has long been asking for three hostages to be released from a North Korean Labour camp, but to no avail. Stay tuned!”

He also dropped hints about “things we have going on” in relation to North Korea when swearing in Mr Pompeo as secretary of state earlier this week. Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, said: “Certainly, that would be an incredible step and certainly a sign of goodwill moving into these discussions with North Korea.”

Choi Soung-yong, a South Korean activist, said sources from inside the hermit state say the three prisoners were moved to a hotel near Pyongyang in early April.

A US State Department spokesman said: “The welfare and safety of all US citizens abroad is one of our highest priorities.

“We are working to see US citizens who are detained in North Korea come home as soon as possible.”