The Latest: Japan's PM vows to win release of own abductees

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump welcoming home Korean Americans released by North Korea (all times local):

12:45 a.m.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has renewed his pledge to win release of Japanese abductees detained for decades in North Korea as he congratulated three Americans' return home.

The Americans freed after more than a year in North Korea's prison flew home Wednesday.

Abe congratulated their release as Pyongyang's forward-looking step ahead of its summit with the U.S., but stressed that many Japanese are still stuck in North Korea.

Abe says he is determined to pursue efforts to bring them home and seek support from the U.S., South Korea and China.

Japan says North Korea abducted at least 17 Japanese decades ago to train spies in Japanese language and culture. Pyongyang acknowledged in 2002 abducting 13. It said eight had died, and allowed five others to visit Japan — and they stayed.

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12:30 a.m.

President Donald Trump is promising "quite a scene" when three Korean Americans detained in North Korea return to the mainland U.S. after more than a year in prison.

Their freedom is a bonus from the warming of relations between the longtime adversaries.

Despite a middle-of-the-night landing Thursday at the Washington-area Joint Base Andrews, Trump and his wife plan to celebrate in person when the freed men arrive.

The men were released Wednesday as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo left Pyongyang after meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un amid final plans for a Trump-Kim summit.

Singapore is the likely site for the historic meeting, late this month or in early June, and Pompeo says it would last one day and possibly a second.