US missionary in China after North Korea release

A US missionary released by North Korea after entering the communist country on Christmas Day to protest against human rights abuses arrived in China yesterday en route to his homeland, the US embassy said.

North Korean authorities detained Robert Park, 28, for illegal entry after he crossed a frozen border river from China.

He carried a letter calling on leader Kim Jong-Il to free political prisoners, shut prison camps, improve rights and step down.

"We welcome North Korea's release of Robert Park, who arrived in Beijing this morning," said US embassy spokeswoman Susan Stevenson.

"Mr Park is being assisted by embassy consular officers as he prepares to return to the US. I can't confirm which flight he is on out of respect for his privacy," he added.

Park did not appear before the media in Beijing.

Last Friday North Korea's official news agency said he had expressed "sincere repentance" for his actions, which were prompted by "false propaganda" from the West.

"The relevant organ of the DPRK (North Korea) decided to leniently forgive and release him, taking his admission and sincere repentance of his wrongdoings into consideration," said the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The North has said it is also holding an American arrested for illegal entry from China on January 25. That person's motives and identity are unknown and Friday's report did not mention him.

Sanctions-hit North Korea has said it wants better relations with the US after decades of hostility.

As a condition for returning to stalled multinational nuclear disarmament negotiations, it wants Washington to agree to hold formal peace talks.

A senior Chinese Communist Party official yesterday headed for North Korea, as the international community tries to persuade Pyongyang to return to the nuclear talks, Xinhua news agency reported.

South Korean media said Wang Jiarui was expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il and give him a message from President Hu Jintao to help the resumption of the six-party talks which include South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and the US.

Analysts saw Pyongyang's decision to free Park as an attempt to improve ties as it pushes for dialogue with Washington, which earlier welcomed the decision to free him.

KCNA last Friday carried what it said was an interview with Park and issued an undated photograph of him.

"I trespassed on the border due to my wrong understanding of the DPRK caused by the false propaganda made by the West to tarnish its image," the Arizona resident was quoted as saying.