North Korea to Free US Missionary Jailed Since Christmas

(Feb. 5) – North Korea says it's decided to free a "repentant" American missionary who crossed a frozen river into the country on Christmas Day to protest human rights abuses.

Robert Park, a 28-year-old American of Korean descent who lives in Arizona, walked over the frozen Tumen River from China, carrying protest letters calling on North Korean leader Kim Jong Il to step down and close labor camps where thousands of political prisoners are believed to be held. North Korea announced on Dec. 29 that it had detained Park for illegal entry, and he's believed to have been in a North Korean prison since then.

State-controlled media announced today that Park would be released, but didn't say when. Reports said North Korea has decided to "leniently forgive" the American prisoner because of his "sincere repentance of his wrong-doings."

He's thought to have been forced to confess to wrong-doing. The official Korean Central News Agency also released photos of Park looking well-dressed and smiling, and a transcript of an interview with him, in which he professes love for North Korea.

"Here, I'm in the lands where people respect human rights and, not just respecting human rights, they have actually loved me and showed me more than just human rights. They have shown me grace," Park is quoted as saying. "There's complete religious freedom for all people."

He is also quoted as saying he previously had a "wrong understanding" of North Korea "caused by the false propaganda made by the West to tarnish its image."

In Washington, U.S. officials told The Associated Press they've heard of the impending release. "North Korean authorities informed us recently of their intention to do so and we are pleased they are proceeding," said National Security Council spokesman Ben Chang. The U.S. has no diplomatic relations with North Korea and relies on the Swedish Embassy to relay messages.

Park's father, who lives in California, told the AP he's hopeful North Korea will follow through on its promise to release him. "We are very excited but I don't know if it's real or not. We have to wait and see if it's really happening," Pyong Park said.

Friends and colleagues told the AP that Park was a devout Christian who felt compelled to travel to North Korea to draw attention to human rights abuses there.

The missionary's pastor in Tucson, Rev. John Benson, told AP he's "ecstatic" about Park's upcoming release and said he considers him a hero for risking his life by going to North Korea. "That makes it all the more heroic -- that he was willing to lay down his life," he said. "We didn't want it to end with it being a tragedy for Robert and his family. We wanted it to end as a win-win, with an outcry around the world."

Park's ordeal comes after North Korea released two other Americans last summer – journalists who were also detained for illegal entry. They were sentenced to 12 years' hard labor, and were let go only after former President Bill Clinton flew to North Korea to appeal for their release.

Last month, North Korea announced it had detained another American for illegal entry, but hasn't identified the person.

The United Nations and the U.S. describe the secretive country as having one of the world's worst human rights records. South Korea estimates that some 150,000 political prisoners are held in six labor camps across North Korea. Defectors who had spent time in those camps describe horrible conditions where inmates are often starved, beaten and worked to death.