On Monday, November 10th, two men were released from imprisonment in North Korea after several months of detainment at labor camps. Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller are back in the U.S. with their families in good physical condition, but will need time to recover emotionally. The health of 45­-year­old Bae of Washington D.C. is especially concerning, since he lost over 10 pounds in just a few weeks and was forced to work at a labor camp right after his release from a nearby hospital. However, both Bae and Miller are happily safe in their home country, as reinforced by Bae’s statement to the media that “I just want to say thank you all for supporting me and standing by me during this time” (CNN).

In November 2012, Bae was arrested for allegedly executing Christian missionary work in North Korea. In the following April, he was ordered to 15 years of hard labor, but luckily will not have to fulfill the sentence. Miller, who is now 25, was arrested this April after being accused of tearing up his visa and seeking asylum in the country. His “hostile” actions handed him a sentence of six years of labor in North Korea.

Only a month ago, Jeffrey Fowler was also released from the country after his arrest when his Bible was found at a club meeting that he had attended. These sudden releases of American captives due to the request of President Obama have instigated rising hopes of friendlier exchanges between the United States and North Korea. Since North Korea has been receiving an immense amount of anger due to its abuses of human rights, Kim Jong Un may be attempting to show signs of progression, or possibly an openness to discuss North Korea’s issues. As one of the most private, “backwards” countries in the world, it can only be a matter of time before North Korea begins to accept standards of human rights, education, labor, and healthcare.