got the confrontation between the u.s. and north korea over its nuclear program and saber rattling on both sides, but then you also have the fact that pyongyang and washington don t have direct diplomatic relations, so the u.s. government cannot negotiate directly on behalf of these american citizens. that has to go through the swedish embassy. and just as an indicator, we know of at least two other americans who are in north korean custody. they go as otto warmbier. he was a uva student, 21 years old when he was grabbed in january of 2016, and kim dong-chul. they have received sentences of 10 and 15 years of hard labor and are still languishing in north korean prisons. dave? little, if any, reaction from the united states. also, an unexpected olive branch of sorts from north korean state media. now, why would pyongyang be somewhat conciliatory towards the south right now right before their elections? reporter: well, we re on the