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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| North Korea 'to free US activist' | North Korea 'to free US activist' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| North Korea is to release a US man arrested and held since December for illegally entering the country, state news agency KCNA has said. | North Korea is to release a US man arrested and held since December for illegally entering the country, state news agency KCNA has said. |
| Religious activist Robert Park crossed into the country from China by walking across a frozen river late last year. | Religious activist Robert Park crossed into the country from China by walking across a frozen river late last year. |
| KCNA reports that the North Korean authorities have decided to "forgive and release" Mr Park, who was reported to have admitted his mistake. | KCNA reports that the North Korean authorities have decided to "forgive and release" Mr Park, who was reported to have admitted his mistake. |
| He had reportedly wanted to highlight human rights issues in North Korea. | He had reportedly wanted to highlight human rights issues in North Korea. |
| "The relevant organ of the DPRK (North Korea) decided to leniently forgive and release him, taking his admission and sincere repentance of his wrong doings into consideration," KCNA said. | |
| Mr Park, a US citizen of Korean ancestry from Tucson, Arizona, entered North Korea on foot, walking across the frozen Tumen River on 24 or 25 December last year. | |
| According to his associates, Mr Park claimed he had seen a vision from God of North Korea's liberation and redemption. | |
| They said he had walked across the border shouting: "I am an American citizen. I brought God's love. God loves you and God bless you." | |
| South Korean activists supporting Mr Park said he carried a letter urging the North's leader, Kim Jong-Il, to free political prisoners and improve human rights in the communist state. | |
| In 2009, North Korea detained two US journalists on the border with China. | |
| Laura Ling and Euna Lee were sentenced to 12 years' hard labour but were freed as part of a diplomatic mission spearheaded by former US President Bill Clinton in August after four months in captivity. |