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| Kim Jong-un Gave Order to Free American, North Korea Says | Kim Jong-un Gave Order to Free American, North Korea Says |
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| SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Wednesday that its leader, Kim Jong-un, had personally ordered the release of Jeffrey E. Fowle, an American, after considering requests from President Obama. | SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Wednesday that its leader, Kim Jong-un, had personally ordered the release of Jeffrey E. Fowle, an American, after considering requests from President Obama. |
| Mr. Fowle, an Ohio municipal worker and one of three Americans detained in North Korea, had been held for nearly six months before a United States military plane picked him up Tuesday. He arrived Wednesday in Ohio, where he was reunited with his wife and three children, who rushed to greet his plane when he arrived at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton. | Mr. Fowle, an Ohio municipal worker and one of three Americans detained in North Korea, had been held for nearly six months before a United States military plane picked him up Tuesday. He arrived Wednesday in Ohio, where he was reunited with his wife and three children, who rushed to greet his plane when he arrived at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton. |
| Mr. Kim recently reappeared in state-run news media after a six-week absence, ending widespread speculation about his health and his grip on power. With the statement on Wednesday, North Korea appeared to be burnishing Mr. Kim’s image at home as a leader capable of doing a favor for the American president. | Mr. Kim recently reappeared in state-run news media after a six-week absence, ending widespread speculation about his health and his grip on power. With the statement on Wednesday, North Korea appeared to be burnishing Mr. Kim’s image at home as a leader capable of doing a favor for the American president. |
| Analysts also said the sudden release of Mr. Fowle might have been a conciliatory gesture from Mr. Kim to bolster his government’s efforts to engage Washington in a dialogue. | Analysts also said the sudden release of Mr. Fowle might have been a conciliatory gesture from Mr. Kim to bolster his government’s efforts to engage Washington in a dialogue. |
| The report was the North’s first public comment on the circumstances surrounding Mr. Fowle’s release. Washington has not offered an explanation, except for thanking the Swedish government, which maintains an embassy in Pyongyang and has represented the interests of Americans held in the North. The United States and North Korea remain technically at war after the Korean War was halted in 1953 in a truce. | The report was the North’s first public comment on the circumstances surrounding Mr. Fowle’s release. Washington has not offered an explanation, except for thanking the Swedish government, which maintains an embassy in Pyongyang and has represented the interests of Americans held in the North. The United States and North Korea remain technically at war after the Korean War was halted in 1953 in a truce. |
| Mr. Fowle, 56, of Miamisburg, Ohio, was released while he was awaiting trial on charges of committing an antistate crime. He entered North Korea in late April on a tourist visa and was arrested in May after leaving a Bible behind. North Korea considers any attempt by an outsider to disseminate Christian messages a crime aimed at undermining its political system. | |
| The statement released by the family gave thanks to God “for his hand of protection over Jeff these past six months” and said that Mr. Fowle wanted people to know that the North Korean government had treated him well. | The statement released by the family gave thanks to God “for his hand of protection over Jeff these past six months” and said that Mr. Fowle wanted people to know that the North Korean government had treated him well. |
| The statement also said that although the family was “overjoyed” by his return, they were mindful that two other Americans, Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller, were still being held and understood “the disappointment their families are experiencing today that their loved ones did not return home with Jeff.” | The statement also said that although the family was “overjoyed” by his return, they were mindful that two other Americans, Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller, were still being held and understood “the disappointment their families are experiencing today that their loved ones did not return home with Jeff.” |
| Mr. Fowle was present when a lawyer and family friend read the statement in front of his home, but he made no comment, only smiling when reporters asked how he was feeling. | Mr. Fowle was present when a lawyer and family friend read the statement in front of his home, but he made no comment, only smiling when reporters asked how he was feeling. |
| Few had anticipated his release. | Few had anticipated his release. |
| In early September, the North Korean government arranged American news media interviews with Mr. Fowle and the two other detained Americans in which they beseeched Washington to send a high-profile envoy to negotiate their freedom. But United States officials said Pyongyang had repeatedly rejected their offer to send a high-level representative. | In early September, the North Korean government arranged American news media interviews with Mr. Fowle and the two other detained Americans in which they beseeched Washington to send a high-profile envoy to negotiate their freedom. But United States officials said Pyongyang had repeatedly rejected their offer to send a high-level representative. |
| One of the Americans still in detention, Mr. Bae, was arrested in late 2012 and later sentenced to 15 years of hard labor on charges of trying to build an underground proselytizing network in a plot to overthrow the government. Last month, the North’s Supreme Court convicted the other American, Mr. Miller, on spying charges and sentenced him to six years of hard labor. | One of the Americans still in detention, Mr. Bae, was arrested in late 2012 and later sentenced to 15 years of hard labor on charges of trying to build an underground proselytizing network in a plot to overthrow the government. Last month, the North’s Supreme Court convicted the other American, Mr. Miller, on spying charges and sentenced him to six years of hard labor. |
| North Korea later said that Mr. Miller, 25, of Bakersfield, Calif., had entered the country hoping to be arrested and become an eyewitness to prison life there. It said that Mr. Miller had torn up his tourist visa upon arriving in Pyongyang in April so that his unruly behavior could land him in a prison camp, where he hoped to collect evidence of human rights violations. | North Korea later said that Mr. Miller, 25, of Bakersfield, Calif., had entered the country hoping to be arrested and become an eyewitness to prison life there. It said that Mr. Miller had torn up his tourist visa upon arriving in Pyongyang in April so that his unruly behavior could land him in a prison camp, where he hoped to collect evidence of human rights violations. |
| The detention of the three Americans strained North Korea’s already rocky relations with the United States, which has been trying to isolate the country with the help of United Nations sanctions imposed for the North’s development and testing of nuclear weapons. | The detention of the three Americans strained North Korea’s already rocky relations with the United States, which has been trying to isolate the country with the help of United Nations sanctions imposed for the North’s development and testing of nuclear weapons. |
| Washington had accused Pyongyang of holding the Americans as “pawns” — human bargaining chips who could force the United States to make concessions, such as taking part in bilateral talks that the North has long sought. | Washington had accused Pyongyang of holding the Americans as “pawns” — human bargaining chips who could force the United States to make concessions, such as taking part in bilateral talks that the North has long sought. |
| After Mr. Fowle’s release, the United States urged North Korea to free the remaining two Americans. | After Mr. Fowle’s release, the United States urged North Korea to free the remaining two Americans. |
| Mr. Fowle’s release comes at a time when North Korea appears to be seeking a thaw in its relations with its neighbors after years of escalating tensions, marked by the nuclear and missile tests. | Mr. Fowle’s release comes at a time when North Korea appears to be seeking a thaw in its relations with its neighbors after years of escalating tensions, marked by the nuclear and missile tests. |
| A high-ranking delegation from the North made a surprise visit to South Korea this month and agreed to resume high-level inter-Korean dialogue, although the two Koreas later exchanged fire across their land and sea borders. North Korea has also agreed to investigate the fates of Japanese citizens allegedly kidnapped by its agents decades ago. | A high-ranking delegation from the North made a surprise visit to South Korea this month and agreed to resume high-level inter-Korean dialogue, although the two Koreas later exchanged fire across their land and sea borders. North Korea has also agreed to investigate the fates of Japanese citizens allegedly kidnapped by its agents decades ago. |