PYONGYANG, Korea, Democratic People's Republic Of — Canada expressed dismay Wednesday at what it called an "unduly harsh" life sentence handed to a Canadian pastor in North Korea.
Hyeon Soo Lim, who pastors the Light Korean Presbyterian Church west of Toronto, was sentenced to life in prison with hard labour by North Korea's Supreme Court for what it called crimes against the state.
"Canada is dismayed at the unduly harsh sentence given to Mr. Lim by a North Korean court, particularly given his age and fragile health," said Diana Khaddaj, a spokeswoman for the federal department of Global Affairs.
"Like Mr. Lim's family and friends, the government of Canada remains concerned for his rights and well-being and wishes to see him return to Canada."
Lim had been in detention since February and was sentenced after a 90-minute trial.
The trial was the first opportunity for Canadian officials to see Lim, despite repeated requests to do so, said Khaddaj.
"This is a serious violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the right of states to have consular access to their citizens," she said. "We continue to request consular access and work towards a resolution of his case."
The crimes Lim was charged with included harming the dignity of the supreme leadership, trying to use religion to destroy the North Korean system, disseminating negative propaganda about the North to the overseas Koreans, and helping U.S. and the South Korean authorities lure and abduct North Korean citizens, along with aiding their programs to assist defectors from the North.
State prosecutors sought the death penalty.
Lim's lawyer asked the court to take into account the fact that Lim is a fellow Korean and that he had frankly confessed to everything the prosecution had brought up.
Lim pleaded to be given a chance and said if the court gave him a chance he would not do anything bad again.
In July, Lim had appeared at a news conference organized by North Korean authorities in Pyongyang and admitted to plotting to overthrow the North Korean state, but other foreigners detained in North Korea and then released have said they were coerced into making similar statements and confessing guilt during their detention.
Lim's relatives and colleagues have said he travelled on Jan. 31 as part of a regular humanitarian mission to North Korea where he supports a nursing home, a nursery and an orphanage.
They said Lim, who is in his early 60s, has made more than 100 trips to North Korea since 1997 and that his trips were about helping people and were not political.
Lisa Pak, a spokeswoman for the family, has said Lim had no problems on his previous trips to North Korea.
She confirmed in March that Lim had been detained in the country.
One of the projects Lim spearheaded "aims to help the people there live sustainably,'' she said at the time, adding "they can grow their own food now, so they don't always have to receive aid.''
Last month, Lim's family issued a statement saying it hoped the new Liberal government would be able to secure his release.
"It is our hope that Prime Minister Trudeau, Foreign Minister Stephane Dion and the newly elected government continues to hold this case in the highest priority, doing what is necessary to secure the safe and speedy return of Reverend Lim to his family and community," the statement said.
Lim started the Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Mississauga, Ont., nearly three decades ago, shortly after he immigrated from South Korea. He grew the congregation from about a dozen people in 1986 to more than 3,000 members today, Pak said. He also runs a smaller church in downtown Toronto that caters to young people.
North Korea has very strict rules against any missionary or religious activities that it sees as threatening the supremacy of its ruling regime. Merely leaving a Bible in a public place can lead to arrest and possibly severe punishment.
Both the Canadian and U.S. governments warn against travel to North Korea.
