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A University of Virginia student, an accounting teacher, a Pyongyang university employee and a businessman, they have a couple of things in common — they're all American citizens and they're all currently imprisoned in North Korea. A Canadian pastor has also been detained in the country.
North Korea calls these people criminals and says they've received due process, fair legal treatment under North Korean law. But a former U.S. ambassador to China says North Korea is holding the Americans to use them as bargaining chips with the U.S.
The communist country says two of the two detained Americans committed hostile acts against North Korea. We don't know exactly what that means.
The State Department says the Asian country's legal system passes harsh sentences for actions that wouldn't be considered crimes in the U.S.
Things like taking unauthorized pictures, shopping at stores where foreigners around allowed or for religious activities.
SUBTITLE: What happens to U.S. citizens detained in North Korea?
IVAN WATSON, cnn SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: North Korean authorities have a pattern of detaining American citizens when they're about to leave the country from the airport in Pyongyang. From that moment, their situation becomes very precarious. If the detainee is lucky, then perhaps they'll be released within a matter of months.
In the past, Americans have been accused of espionage and plotting hostile acts against North Korea, since Washington and Pyongyang do not have formal diplomatic relations, the Swedish embassy negotiates on behalf of the prisoners.
The outside world doesn't normally see the detainees until they're forced to make televised confessions or highly controlled appearances with visiting journalists like cnn. North Korea typically punishes Americans with years of hard labor. University student Otto Warmbier received a 15-year sentence for pulling a political banner off the wall of his tourist hotel.
Former prisoners described spending hours each day digging holes and shoveling coal. Several prisoners have been released with the help of visits from American dignitaries. The U.S. State Department warns U.S. citizens not to travel to North Korea.
AZUZ: North Korea is not on the itinerary for President Donald Trump's first international trip as U.S. leader. But the Middle East and Europe are.
The president is scheduled to leave today to visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, Vatican City, Belgium and Italy in that order. The trip will last eight days and though he's facing controversies back home, President Trump will be working with other leaders in the days ahead to advance his foreign policy goals.
Speeches, visits to holy sites and meals with other heads of states are all in the schedule.
