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03/28/2024 10:19:43 am

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Americans Detained In North Korea Plead For U.S. Help

Kenneth Bae

(Photo : Reuters) American Missionary detained in North Korea for 15-year term sentence

Three Americans detained in North Korea pleaded for the U.S. government to send an emissary from the country to negotiate their release during a press conference held with foreign media on Monday.

Jeffrey Fowle, Matthew Miller and Kenneth Bae were able to air their appeal to the United States government through the Associated Press on a press conference held on Monday where they repeatedly pleaded for their release.

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Interviews with the three detainees were held separately at a meeting center in the country's capital, Pyongyang, with the supervision of North Korean officials.

Fowle and Miller were set to be tried for allegedly committing hostile acts against the country within a month while Bae is already serving his 15-year term sentence at a labor camp in the country.

All three have called on the U.S. to send a representative, preferably someone from the upper ranks, to negotiate their release with North Korea.

Responding to the detainees' appeal, Spokesperson Patrick Ventrell from the National Security Council in Washington vowed to make negotiations in relation to their immediate release a top priority.

In a statement, Ventrell revealed that they have closely monitored the three cases and promised to continue their efforts to broker their release as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, another statement from State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki indicated the United States requested for the release of Miller and Fowle and a pardon for Bae to allow the latter to seek medical attention. Bae's family had expressed their worry about his deteriorating health.

After the interviews with the three were aired, several U.S. diplomats called on the North Korean leadership for their release.

Bae, a 46-year-old Christian missionary and former tour guide, received a 15-year sentence from the North Korean government after he confessed involvement with a plot to overthrow the secretive government in 2012.

Miller, 24, arrived in the Asian country on April 10 holding a tourist visa. However, he tore the visa and claimed to seek asylum in the country. Fowle, 56, arrived on April 29 and was accused of leaving a Bible at a Chongjin City nightclub.

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