Three American hostages returned to the United States early Thursday morning after intense pressure and strategic diplomacy by the Trump administration.
The hostages, who spent at least a year in captivity in North Korea, were accompanied by President Trump, the first lady and the vice president off of a plane and onto the tarmac of Andrews Air Force Base in a triumphant moment.
Kim Dong-Chul, Kim Hak-Song and Tony Kim were released after negotiations between the Trump administration and dictator Kim Jong-Un. It has since been announced that the two leaders will meet in Singapore on June 12th.
Trump spoke briefly to reporters on the tarmac, calling it a “great honor” to welcome the hostages home. When the president opened questions to reporters, Kim Dong-Chul was the first of the hostages to be asked.
REUTERS/Jim Bourg
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
Screenshot/CSPAN
“How does it feel to be home?” a reporter shouted over jet engines. Trump turned to Kim Dong-Chul and re-asked the question. Dong-Chul spoke through an interpreter and said four words, “It’s like a dream.”
He went on to say, “We are very, very happy.”
When asked how he was treated by the North Koreans, Dong-Chul said, “We were treated in many different ways. He went on to explain that they performed labor but were treated humanely when in need.
WATCH THE POWERFUL MOMENT: