An American Christian that was sentenced to 15 years hard labor in North Korea has appeared in a prison interview, tearfully imploring the United States to help secure his release.
As previously reported, Kenneth Bae, who operates a Washington-based tourist company, was arrested not far from the city of Yanji in November, where some Christian groups provide aid to North Korean refugees. It is stated that Bae has made a number of trips to North Korea to assist orphaned children.
While the exact reason for his charges of committing “hostile [and religious] acts to bring down the government” has not been made known, some organizations speculate that Bae may be in trouble for taking pictures that the government found threatening.
“The most plausible scenario I can think of is that he took some pictures of the orphans, and the North Korean authorities considered that an act of anti-North Korean propaganda,” said Do Hee-youn of the Citizens’ Coalition for the Human Rights of North Korean Refugees.