North Korea releases American Jeffrey Fowle, US confirms
State Department says Fowle was home Tuesday after negotiators left Pyongyang, and that the US was working to free two others held by North Korea
Tuesday 21 October 2014
The US State Department says Jeffrey Fowle, one of three Americans being held in North Korea, has been released.
State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said Fowle was home Tuesday after negotiators left Pyongyang. She said the US is still trying to free two other Americans, Matthew Miller and Kenneth Bae.
Associated Press journalists in Pyongyang spotted the US government plane at the capital’s international airport on Tuesday. The White House confirmed Fowle was released home to see his family.
Miller, Fowle and Bae were allowed to speak briefly with the Associated Press last month in Pyongyang. All said they believe the only solution to their situation is for a US representative to come to North Korea to make a direct appeal.
That has often been North Korea’s bargaining chip in the past, when senior statesmen including former President Clinton made trips to Pyongyang to secure the release of detainees.
