Updated: N.Korea gives Canadian pastor life sentence
Pastor's family has publicly begged for N.Korean government's mercy, Lim's release
Update 16 12.15: On Wednesday spokesperson for the Light Presbyterian Church issued press release.
“The family and the church leadership are aware of the trial and sentence. We entreat the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to remember Reverend Lim’s heart for the people of the DPRK. The family and the church hope for a demonstration of mercy and compassion. Finally, we ask the global community for your continued support in prayers.”
A Korean-Canadian pastor detained in North Korea was sentenced to a life of hard labor on Wednesday for numerous charges, including attempting to overthrow the North Korean government, AP Pyongyang reported.
Lim Hyeon-soo of the Light Presbyterian Church in Toronto lost contact with the church when he went to North Korea in late January to provide humanitarian aid for North Korean nursing homes, daycare centers and orphanages.
At the time it was suspected that Lim was going through the extended quarantine period the North had established to prevent the spread of Ebola. In July, though, it was revealed that Lim had been charged with slandering the North Korean leadership and system to overthrow the country and establish a religious state in North Korea, NK News previously reported.
“I have so far malignantly defamed the dignity and social system of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK),” said Lim during the press conference in July.
“I delivered a report on what is going on in North Korea before tens of thousands of South Koreans and overseas Koreans … and during preaching tours of more than 20 countries including Canada, the U.S., (S)outh Korea, Japan and Brazil. Each time I malignantly slandered the dignity and social system of the DPRK.”
North Korea’s state-run Korea Central News Agency reported that “Lim honestly admitted all crimes perpetrated by him were aimed to overthrow the state.”
Lim’s family sent a public statement to North Korea in November urging Lim’s speedy return.
“I beg for North Korea’s warm mercy to Lim so that he may return to his family. The family has been separated from Lim for too long and we are hoping for his safe return,” the statement said.
“Even if Lim’s confession of his accused crime is true, please understand that it was done as part of his efforts to serve North Korean people.”
Pastor Eric Foley from Voice of Martyrs, an international missionary group told NK News that “Lim’s imprisonment shows that North Korea is against any kind of Christian activities in North Korea.”
Foley said that he has not met a single North Korean defector who has said it is a good strategy to make contact with the North Korean government in the name of Jesus.
“Pastor Lim was in a situation where he wanted to show the love of God but what he found was manipulation and control for the government’s own purpose. It is time for the world to realize that Christians’ cooperation with the North Korean government is an invalid strategy,” said Foley.
Main image: File
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
