List of foreign nationals detained in North Korea
This is a list of foreign nationals who have been detained in North Korea . Excluded from the list are any persons who were detained while on active military duty and held as prisoners of war or military defectors . Also excluded are people abducted in other countries and brought into North Korea.
Detained Australians [ edit ] Name Detained Released Days in detention Reason for detention Ref. John Short 16 February 2014 3 March 2014 15 Unauthorized religious activity [1] Alek Sigley 25 June 2019 4 July 2019 9 Espionage, was arrested while studying in Pyongyang.[2] [3] After negotiations through the Swedish embassy in North Korea, he was released.[4] [5] [6]
Detained South Korean citizens [ edit ] Name Detained Released Days in detention Reason for detention Ref. Min Young Mi 20 June 1999 25 June 1999 5 "Preaching defection". Detained after conversing with a North Korean tour guide. [7] [8] Kim Jung Wook (alternative spelling: Kim Jong Uk )[9] 8 October 2013 In detention 3,887 Unknown, possibly connected with Christian missionary work. Alleged activities as a "South Korean National Intelligence Service agent". [10] [11] Joo Won Moon 22 April 2015 5 October 2015 166 Illegally entering North Korea via China [12] Kim Kook Kie June 2015 In detention 3,279 Committing "anti-DPRK espionage activities under the manipulation of the U.S. and puppet South Korea" [10] Choi Chun Kil June 2015 In detention 3,279 Committing "anti-DPRK espionage activities under the manipulation of the U.S. and puppet South Korea" [10] Ko Hyon Chol July 2016 In detention 2,883 Alleged kidnapping of orphans [10]
Detained U.S. citizens [ edit ] Name Detained Released Days in detention Reason for detention Ref. Evan Hunziker 24 August 1996 27 November 1996 95 Illegally entering North Korea [13] Kwang Duk Lee 26 May 1998 27 August 1998 93 Espionage [14] Karen Jung-sook Han 17 June 1999 20 July 1999 33 Committing "an illegal act". Was accused of insulting local officials. [15] Euna Lee 17 March 2009 4 August 2009 140 Illegally entering North Korea (see 2009 imprisonment of American journalists by North Korea ) [16] Laura Ling [16] Robert Park 25 December 2009 6 February 2010 43 Illegally entering North Korea [17] Aijalon Gomes 25 January 2010 26 August 2010 213 Illegally entering North Korea [18] Eddie Yong Su Jun November 2010 28 May 2011 ~208 "Committing a crime" against North Korea [19] Kenneth Bae 3 November 2012 8 November 2014 735 Unauthorized religious activity [20] [21] Merrill Newman 26 October 2013 7 December 2013 42 Issues related to his service in the Korean War [22] Matthew Miller 10 April 2014 8 November 2014 212 Acts hostile to the DPRK while entering under the guise of a tourist.[23] He had travelled to North Korea intending to get arrested.[24] [21] [25] Jeffrey Fowle 4 May 2014 21 October 2014 170 Acting "contrary to the purpose of tourism" by leaving a Bible at a nightclub [26] [27] Arturo Pierre Martinez 10 November 2014 December 2014 ~21 Illegally entering North Korea [28] Sandra Suh 8 April 2015 8 April 2015 0 Deported for "covertly producing photos and videos to use in the anti-DPRK smear campaign" [29] [30]
Miles, no surname given 13 August 2015 October 2015 ~49 Illegally entering North Korea. Previously sought legal long-term residence. Story initially went unreported, but was later verified and broken by NK News on condition of anonymity. [31] Kim Dong Chul October 2015 9 May 2018 952 Espionage [32] [33] [34]
Otto Warmbier 2 January 2016 13 June 2017 [a] 529 Committing "hostile acts" against the DPRK by allegedly stealing a propaganda poster from his hotel. Released back in a vegetative state , later succumbing to injuries inflicted from "severe brain damage" .[35] [36] Kim Sang-duk (Tony Kim) 21 April 2017 9 May 2018 384 Committing "hostile criminal acts with an aim to subvert the country" [33] [37] [38] [39] Kim Hak-song 7 May 2017 9 May 2018 368 Committing "hostile acts" against the state [40] [41] Bruce Byron Lowrance [b] 16 October 2018 16 November 2018 31 Illegally entering North Korea via China [42] [43]
Other detained foreign citizens [ edit ] Name Country Detained Released Days in detention Reason for detention Ref. Alí Lameda ⠀ Venezuela September 1967 27 September 1974 ~2,555 Communist and translator working in the Foreign Affairs Ministry of North Korea, reportedly for joking about Kim Il-sung at an official feast. In a 1975 interview, Lameda expressed that his detention could have been a result of pressure by the Communist Party of Cuba after the Communist Party of Venezuela decided to accept pacification and abandon arms. [44] [45] Eduardo Murillo Chile September 1967 May 1968 ~-243 Same background as Ali Lameda, see above [46] Hyeon Soo Lim Canada February 2015 9 August 2017 ~920 "Harming the dignity of the supreme leadership, trying to use religion to destroy the North Korean system" [47] Jacques Sedillot France September 1967 27 September 1974 ~2,555 Same background as Ali Lameda, see above [44] [45]
See also [ edit ] ^ Warmbier died six days after being released. ^ Lowrance's surname was misspelled and transposed in some news reports. References [ edit ] ^ "Australian missionary deported from North Korea describes 13-day detention" . The Guardian . 5 March 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2016 . ^ Petrov, Leonid (6 July 2019), Luck had nothing to do with Alek Sigley's escape from North Korea , Sydney, Australia: The Sydney Morning Herald , retrieved 10 July 2019 ^ Taylor, Paige (4 July 2019), Missing Australian student Alek Sigley freed from detention in North Korea, now safe and out of country , Australia: The Australian , retrieved 10 July 2019 ^ Australia warns released student Alek Sigley not to return to North Korea , Singapore: The Straits Times , 5 July 2019, retrieved 10 July 2019 ^ "Alek Sigley: Australian student released from North Korea" . The Guardian . 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019 . ^ "Alek Sigley: North Korea accuses Australian of 'spying' " . BBC. 6 July 2019. ^ "Korean tourist released by North" . BBC News . 25 June 1999. ^ "Mt. Kumgang tour must not be used for anti-north purpose" . KCNA . 25 June 1999 – via KCNA Watch. ^ "South Korean missionary sentenced to life of hard labour by North Korea" . the Guardian . Associated Press. 31 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2018 . ^ a b c d Han, Tia (8 March 2018). "North Korea "irresponsive" on six South Koreans detained in DPRK, says MOU" . NK News . ^ "KIM JONG UK" . Church in Chains . 20 January 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2020 . ^ Hensley, Nicole (5 October 2015). "North Korea releases detained NYU student Joo Won-Moon: Seoul officials" . New York Daily News . ^ "Jailed American Arrives Home For Thanksgiving -- North Korea Frees Washington Man" . The Seattle Times . Associated Press . 27 November 1996. Retrieved 9 August 2014 . ^ Mozingo, Joe (1 September 1998). "Freed Pastor Home After Ordeal" . Los Angeles Times . ^ "North Korea to deport US prisoner" . BBC News . 19 July 1999. ^ a b "Ling Sisters Recount Laura's Capture In North Korea" . National Public Radio . 19 May 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2014 . ^ Gabbatt, Adam (7 February 2010). "US human rights campaigner freed by North Korea returns home" . The Guardian . London . Retrieved 9 August 2014 . ^ Andersen, Travis and Farah Stockman (27 August 2010). "Boston man set free in N. Korea" . The Boston Globe . Retrieved 9 August 2014 . ^ "Family of American detained in North Korea cheers his release" . CNN. 29 May 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2014 . ^ Bright, Arthur (10 May 2013). "North Korea explains why it sentenced American Kenneth Bae to hard labor" . The Christian Science Monitor . Retrieved 9 August 2014 . ^ a b Greg Botelho (8 November 2014). "North Korea releases American detainees Bae, Miller" . CNN. Retrieved 8 November 2014 . ^ "US war veteran Merrill Newman home after N Korea ordeal" . BBC News . 7 December 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2014 . ^ Fifield, Anna (14 September 2014). "North Korea sentences American Matthew Miller to 6 years of hard labor" . Washington Post. Retrieved 14 September 2014 . ^ Stephen Evans (17 November 2014). "Matthew Miller: Trying to get jailed in North Korea" . BBC. Retrieved 18 November 2014 . ^ Ferguson, Carol (2 July 2014). "Bakersfield man held in North Korea, US officials request release" . KBAK-TV /KBFX-CD . Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2014 . ^ Labott, Elise (21 October 2014). "American released from North Korea" . CNN. Retrieved 21 October 2014 . ^ "North Korea releases American Jeffrey Fowle, US confirms" . The Guardian . London . 21 October 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014 . ^ "Exclusive: American 'defector' home safely from North Korea: Martinez returned home discreetly last year, in contrast to public appearance in late 2014" . NK News . 11 April 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2016 . ^ "Aid worker deported from North Korea on spying charges arrives in China" . The Guardian . Agence France-Presse. 9 April 2015. ^ "American expelled for anti-DPRK propaganda" . The Pyongyang Times . 13 April 2015. Archived from the original on 31 July 2016. ^ O'Carroll, Chad; Hotham, Oliver (24 December 2019). "U.S. citizen says he snuck into North Korea, was imprisoned in 2015" . NK News . Retrieved 30 December 2019 . ^ Ripley, Will; Griffiths, James (22 January 2016). "North Korea reveals alleged U.S. prisoner to CNN" . CNN . Retrieved 23 January 2016 . ^ a b "North Korea Releases 3 US Detainees From Labor Camps, Negotiating Return" . International Business Times . 1 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018 . ^ Calia, Mike (9 May 2018). "Trump: Secretary of State Pompeo heading back from North Korea with 3 released prisoners" . CNBC . Retrieved 9 May 2018 . ^ "The Untold Story of Otto Warmbier, American Hostage | GQ" . 1 August 2018. Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2021 . ^ Pearson, James; Park, Ju-Min (22 January 2016). "North Korea detains U.S. student on New Year trip for 'hostile act' " . Retrieved 23 January 2016 . ^ Pearson, James; Park, Ju-Min (23 April 2017). "North Korea detains third U.S. citizen: Yonhap' " . Retrieved 23 April 2017 . ^ Park, Ju-min. "North Korea says American was detained for 'attempted subversion' " . Reuters . Retrieved 10 May 2018 . ^ Sang-Hun, Chloe (9 May 2018). "3 Americans Are Released From North Korea, Trump Says" . The New York Times . Retrieved 9 May 2018 . ^ Lee, Taehoon (8 May 2017). "North Korea detains fourth US citizen" . CNN . Retrieved 15 June 2017 . ^ Chappell, Bill; Domonoske, Camila (9 May 2018). "North Korea Releases 3 Americans As Pompeo's Visit Concludes" . NPR . Retrieved 9 May 2018 . ^ Kim, Tong-Hyung (17 November 2018). "A look at Americans who have been detained in North Korea" . AP News . ^ Gallagher, Linda (21 November 2018). "Central Lake man released from North Korean prison" . The Antrim Review . ^ a b "Democratic People's Republic of Korea: Ali Lameda: A personal account of the experience of a Prisoner of Conscience in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" . Amnesty International . 1979. Retrieved 3 March 2015 . ^ a b Socorro, Milagros (10 January 2015). "Alí Lameda, tortura terrible" . El Estimulo . Retrieved 7 February 2021 . ^ Digitalproserver; Pauta 100.5, Radio (8 June 2018). "Un chileno en el infierno norcoreano" . Radio Pauta 100.5 (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 November 2023 . {{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link ) ^ "North Korea releases imprisoned Canadian pastor, state media says" . CBC News. 9 August 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017 .