Sister echoes apology of US man detained in North Korea
Print Edition
The sister of an American missionary detained for more than a year in North Korea echoed her brother’s apology to the nation for crimes he committed and his plea to the US government to ramp up efforts to secure his release.
In a statement released after Kenneth Bae gave a brief news conference in North Korea on Monday, Terri Chung said, “We understand that Kenneth has been convicted of crimes under North Korean laws. Our family sincerely apologizes on Kenneth’s behalf.”
She said to North Korea’s leaders: “We humbly ask for your mercy to release my brother.”
The family is concerned about Bae’s health, and Chung said she could “see that he was distressed.”
Earlier this month, Chung said Bae did nothing wrong.
At the press conference that Bae said was held at his request, Bae pointed to a comment by US Vice President Joe Biden last month as having made his situation more difficult.
“The vice president of United States said that I was detained here without any reason,” Bae said. “And even my younger sister recently told the press that I had not committed any crime and I know that the media reported it.
“I think these comments infuriated the people here enormously. And for this reason, I am in a difficult situation now. As a result, although I was in medical treatment in the hospital for five months until now, it seems I should return to prison. And moreover there is greater difficulty in discussions about my amnesty.”
Bae was arrested in November 2012 while leading a tour group and accused of crimes against North Korea before being sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. He was moved to a hospital last summer in poor health.
At the press conference, Bae apologized and said he committed anti-government acts. He wore a gray cap and inmate’s uniform with the number 103 on his chest and was under guard during the appearance.
Bae, the longest-serving American detainee in North Korea in recent years, expressed hope that the US government will do its best to win his release. He said he had not been treated badly in confinement.
“I believe that my problem can be solved by close cooperation and agreement between the American government and the government of this country,” he said.
Chung called for an increased push to secure her brother’s release. “We implore Secretary Kerry and President Obama to take immediate action to bring Kenneth home,” she said.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US government was continuing to work with the Swedish Embassy on getting Bae freed.
“As we have said before, we remain very concerned about Kenneth Bae’s health,” Psaki said. “We continue to urge the North Korean authorities to grant Bae amnesty and immediate release.”
An Obama administration official said the US government has offered to send Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues Robert King to Pyongyang to secure Bae’s release and was awaiting for North Korea’s response.
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