North Korea

The dramatic release of the trio, two who were arrested just over a year ago and the third held since 2015, comes amid a thaw in relations between Washington and Pyongyang.

The former captives, believed to be three Americans of Korean descent, are traveling with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and will arrive back in the U.S. early Thursday.

Even as President Trump said he's leaving the Iran nuclear deal, he voiced optimism on another deal, as he sent Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to plan a meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un.

The two teams were scheduled to face off in the quarterfinals of the women's World Team Table Tennis Championships on Thursday. Instead they announced that they'd head to the next round as one team.

In a tweet, the president suggested that the three — two detained last year and a third held since 2015 — could be released soon.

President Trump paid his first official visit to the State Department Wednesday to attend the ceremonial swearing-in of Mike Pompeo. Pompeo promised a vigorous pursuit of diplomatic opportunities.

The removal comes after a historic summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who pledged a "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea's leader told South Korea's president he would invite security experts and journalists to the site. South Korea's president also spoke with President Trump about a U.S.-North Korea summit.