GOP rep after detainees’ release: ‘We really want to see concrete changes’ from North Korea

Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) praised the return of three Americans who were previously imprisoned in North Korea, but cautioned on Thursday that “concrete changes” are needed from Pyongyang. 

“This is something for everyone in our country to celebrate. Anytime Americans are detained under these conditions under a rogue regime and released, it’s a good day for our country,” Curbelo told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on “New Day.” 

{mosads}”Now we have to put this in the context of the broader North Korea issue, the negotiations that are ongoing, there’s a lot of hope for those negotiations, but some of us are also a little skeptical because we know the nature of Kim Jong-Un’s regime and we really want to see concrete changes,” he continued. 

“Priority number one must be immediate and verifiable denuclearization. If that happens, then we can really say that this administration has changed the world,” he added. 

Curbelo’s comments come hours after President Trump and first lady Melania Trump personally greeted Kim Dong-chul, Tony Kim and Kim Hak-song upon their arrival from North Korea early on Thursday at Joint Base Andrews outside of Washington. 

“I’m very honored to have helped these great folks, but the true honor is going to be if we have a victory in getting rid of nuclear weapons,” the president said, referencing an upcoming summit between the U.S. and North Korea. “We have a meeting scheduled in a very short period of time. We have the location set. We’ll see if we can do something that people did not think was going to happen for many, many years.”

President Trump and his North Korean counterpart are set to meet later this month or in June in Singapore in an effort to discuss the future of nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula, according to a report from CNN. 

Kim said on Wednesday that his upcoming meeting with Trump will be a positive step for both North and South Korea.