WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-08), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, applauded the release of three American prisoners following Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s diplomatic mission to North Korea.

“The release of three American prisoners by North Korea is a welcome and hopeful sign that we can work together to resolve this conflict. I commend Secretary Pompeo and the entire Administration for their leadership and determination to seek a diplomatic solution to the Korean Conflict,” said Fitzpatrick. “This gesture of goodwill is a great step forward towards peace on the peninsula. The ‘maximum pressure’ strategy of the economic and diplomatic sanctions placed on North Korea by the Administration and the House Foreign Affairs Committee has brought North Korea to the negotiating table. I look forward to the coming summit between our three countries.”

President Trump said in tweet this morning, “I am pleased to inform you that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the air and on his way back from North Korea with the 3 wonderful gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting. They seem to be in good health.”

Secretary Pompeo will be returning to Joint Base Andrews with the three Americans early Thursday morning.

The release comes after Kim Jong-un met late last month with South Korean President Moon Jae-In and crossed into South Korea. He was the first North Korean leader to step into South in the last 65 years.