Korea Sentences Canadian Pastor to Hard Labor for Life

South Korea-born Canadian pastor Hyeon Soo Lim attends his trial at a North Korean court in this undated photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang December 16, 2015.

Relatives have made clear that his mission in North Korea has taken him to the reclusive state around 100 times over the last two decades for humanitarian rather than political reasons. He is said to have talked to USA ambassador to Mongolia on plans to get “defectors” out via Mongolia.

Ottawa cut ties with Pyongyang in 2010and now has limited diplomatic influence in North Korea.

North Korea has always been criticized by the global community for its numerous human rights offenses, especially against those of religious background who visit the country.

In July, Lim was brought out a news conference where he read from a statement, confessing to activities aimed at toppling the North Korean government, according to the country’s state-run news agency KCNA.

“My biggest crime is my act of blindness in severely insulting the highest dignity and system, the DPRK”, Lim is shown saying to a church congregation while dressed in a dark suit and tie.

Hyeon Soo Lim, who was sentenced to a term of hard labor, had been detained since traveling to North Korea in January.

The prime minister said the government’s immediate priority is to ensure that Canadian diplomats get access to Lim.

In November last year, Kenneth Bae – a U.S. citizen who, like Lim, was born in South Korea – was released two years after being sentenced to 15 years’ hard labour.

“His church is one of the main religious groups in the Korean community that has been actively involved in humanitarian missions to North Korea”, she said.

Although religious freedom is enshrined in the North’s constitution, it does not exist in practice and foreign missionaries arrested in North Korea can be given long sentences or used by Pyongyang as a way of securing concessions from their governments. A second, affiliated church was started in downtown Toronto.

Trudeau added, “We need to be able to meet with and ensure that Canadians are being properly treated everywhere around the world, including in North Korea and we will be continuing to press North Korean authorities to allow us access”. Just leaving a Bible in a public place can result in severe punishment and arrest.