U.S. Wants 'Immediate Release' of American Jailed in North Korea
The United States on Thursday called for the "immediate release" of a Korean-American tour operator sentenced in North Korea to 15 years of hard labor for "hostile acts" against the government.
"We urge the DPRK authorities to grant Mr Bae amnesty," deputy acting State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell told journalists, referring to jailed US citizen Pae Jun-Ho, who is known in the United States as Kenneth Bae.
"We have concerns about the lack of transparency in this case," Ventrell said, adding that Washington was still seeking details of the charges filed against Bae.
The U.S. citizen was arrested in November as he entered the northeastern port city of Rason. He has been accused of trying to "topple the DPRK" (North Korea).
"The Supreme Court sentenced him to 15 years of compulsory labor for this crime," according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), which said his trial was held on April 30.
Pyongyang has not specified the basis of the offenses allegedly committed by Bae, who is reported to be aged 44, but KCNA has previously said that he admitted his crimes.
Ventrell said Swedish diplomats, who represent U.S. interests in North Korea in the absence of diplomatic ties between Washington and Pyongyang, did not attend Bae's trial, and had last seen him on April 26.
"There is no greater priority than the safety of U.S. citizens," the State Department spokesman said.
Source: Agence France Presse
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