A Canadian pastor arrested in North Korea in March has made a statement in which he says he tried to undermine the government.
Hyeon-soo Lim, a native of South Korea and Canadian citizen who serves in a large Toronto Presbyterian church, told a news conference in Pyongyang his humanitarian work in North Korea has been a ruse and that his true intention was to “overturn its social system by taking advantage of the hostile policy against it sought by the South Korean authorities and set up a base for building a religious state,” according to a 31 July item issued by North Korea’s official news agency, KCNA.
Lim’s church said the pastor has visited North Korea more than 100 times since 1997, where he has been involved in starting an orphanage and nursing home. A 30 July statement from Canada’s Foreign Affairs department said officials are “deeply concerned” and are seeking consular access to Lim.
Source: Reuters