In the buildup to a planned summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, Pyongyang has granted amnesty to three imprisoned Americans
North Korea has granted an “amnesty” to three United States citizens ahead of a planned summit between Donald Trump and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un.
They are: Kim Dong Chul
Kim Dong Chul’s detention was first revealed in January 2016 when he was interviewed by CNN. Kim claimed to be a naturalized US citizen from Fairfax, Virginia, who had been arrested while spying for South Korea. The interview took place in the presence of North Korean guards, and CNN conceded that it could not determine whether Kim’s statements were made “under duress”.
Kim told CNN that he had been spying for “South Korean conservative elements” since April 2013.
Kim was sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labor in April 2016 after being found guilty of espionage and subversion. According to CNN, he has a wife and two daughters living in China.
Ma Young-ae, a North Korean defector living in New York, told Reuters that Kim was a Christian missionary whom she had met and traveled with in 2007.
“He told the churches that he was a missionary working on North Korea and sending stuff from China into the North to help the North Koreans,” Ma said.
