Canadian pastor released from prison in North Korea

Tuangtong/iStock/Thinkstock(OTTAWA, Ontario) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a statement on Thursday announcing the release of a Canadian pastor from North Korea.

Pastor Hyeon Soo Lim had been serving a life sentence in North Korea since 2015 for anti-state activities. Trudeau said Thursday that the Government of Canada had been “actively engaged on Mr. Lim’s case at all levels.” He also thanked Sweden, Canada’s protecting power in North Korea, for assistance in the case.

“This week, a Canadian government delegation led by Daniel Jean, my Special Envoy, traveled to Pyongyang, North Korea, to discuss Pastor Lim’s case,” Trudeau said. The Prime Minister added that Lim’s “health and well-being remain of utmost importance to the Government of Canada, and we are working to ensure that he receives any required medical attention.”

Lim is expected to return to Canada, though Trudeau’s statement did not lay out a timeline for his return.

Lim’s family, in a statement to CTV News, said that “there is a long way to go in terms of Reverend Lim’s healing, therefore, in the meantime we ask the media for privacy as he reconnects with his loved ones and receives medical attention.”

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