The 62-year-old Canadian pastor recently released by North Korea marks first public appearance in Ontario

World News Nilgun Salim
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The Canadian pastor released recently by the North Korean government talked about those two years and a half of detention shortly after he has joined his family in Mississauga, Ontario.

Pastor Hyeon Soo Lim, 62, described the time he has spent behind bars as a “suffocating loneliness”.

The 62-year-old was released on Wednesday by the Pyongyang regime due to “medical reasons”.

Initially, the man was sentenced to life imprisonment and forced labor for conducting a “subversive act” against the North Korea government, an accusation strongly denied by the Canadian government.

During a press conference, pastor Lim talked about the difficult living conditions starting with the first day of detention, during which he served all the meals alone and it was difficult to see “how and when this test will be over.”

Sitting on a “freezing ground”, the pastor had to dig deep holes in order to combat his inner demons and prevent the frostbites.

Meanwhile, the North Korean authorities also forced the man to work in a coal storage facility.

Shortly after its arrival home, the Canadian government thanked the Swedish diplomacy for its key role in releasing the pastor.

This very “complex” process was finalized during a time when tensions are increasing between the Pyongyang regime and the United States, a country who still has three citizens imprisoned in North Korea.

At the time of the arrest, the pastor was considered one of the most influential Christian missionaries from North Korea.

He had previously done numerous trips to Kim Jong-un’s state to work in orphanages and hospitals.