President Barack Obama said the effort that led to the release of two Americans held in North Korea did not involve `` high level policy discussions '' or talks about the country 's nuclear program . `` We had an indication that there was a possibility of a release of these two hostages , prisoners , and we pursued it , '' Obama said Monday in Beijing during his bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott . The president landed in China earlier in the day for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ( APEC ) meetings . Obama wades into foreign policy challenges on Asia trip . Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller , the last two American citizens known to be held by North Korea , were released after James Clapper , U.S. director of national intelligence , went to Pyongyang , a senior administration official told CNN on Saturday . Clapper carried with him a letter from Obama addressed to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un . Why now ? North Korea 's release of Bae , Miller raises questions . In his comments Monday , Obama said the talks that involved the Americans ' release `` did not touch on some of the broader issues that have been the source of our primary concern when it comes to North Korea . '' He said it 's a `` good news story '' but argued there 's still a `` broader fundamental conflict '' with North Korea over is nuclear capacity . Obama suggested that in addition to `` small gestures like the ones that we saw with the release of these individuals , '' it will take `` a broader understanding '' by North Korea that countries in the region consider their top priority to be the prevention of a nuclearized Korean peninsula . `` And up until this point at least we have not seen serious engagement on the part of Pyongyang to deal with that problem , '' he said . South Korea fires warning shots at North Korean patrol .
The president said `` high level policy discussions '' were not involved in obtaining release of Americans . The two Americans were held by North Korea and returned over the weekend .