Pastor Hyeon Soo Lim, the lead pastor of Light Presbyterian Church in Toronto, has been detained by the North Korean government, and he has not been in contact with family or friends since January 31.
Reverend Hyeon Soo Lim, a Korean Canadian pastor who has been detained in North Korea after his last visit to Pyongyang on January 31, was reported to have admitted to allegations of attempts to overthrow the North Korean government at a press conference held in Pyongyang, according to KCNA, North Korea's state news agency.
However, it is likely that Lim faced pressure and threats from the North Korean government, as the language he used in the Pyongyang press conference includes words and phrases distinct to the North Korean language.
"My most serious crime is that I critically insulted the great majesty of the People's Republic, and that I conspired to overthrow the government," said Lim, who is known to have built noodle factories, donated winter clothes to orphans in North Korea, and is often called the 'godfather of North Korean missions.'
He added that he tried to establish a religious state during his numerous visits to the country (he is known to have visited North Korea some 100 times), and that he criticized the North Korean government in his 'ministry reports' at churches in Canada, the U.S., Japan, Brazil, and South Korea.
Lim said he entered North Korea on January 30 for economic cooperation projects and that he violated the required quarantine to check for the Ebola virus in entering Pyongyang on February 2. He said he was caught by North Korean officials on the night of the 2nd, and was placed in isolation for 21 days. An official investigation into his crimes began on February 24, he said at the press conference.
