Twitter
Advertisement

After North Korea imprisonment, Kenneth Bae needs rest, time with family, says sister

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

Kenneth Bae, the Korean-American missionary who returned to the United States on Saturday after being imprisoned in North Korea for two years, will not give any further interviews while he rests and spends time with his family, his sister said in a statement on Monday.

"We are exhausted after this roller-coaster ride and just want to get back with our lives and reacquainted with Kenneth," said Terri Chung, Bae's sister, who led the campaign for his release.

Bae and Chung spoke briefly to reporters at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma in Washington state on Saturday night, minutes after Bae's arrival, but did not stay to answer questions.

Chung, who lives near Seattle, said her brother was in good spirits, but has not yet decided where he will live or what he will do. At the time of Bae's arrest in November 2012, while leading a tour group in North Korea, Bae lived with his second wife in China.

Bae, 46, who has suffered from diabetes and other ailments, appeared healthy as he disembarked from a plane on Saturday, but his sister said he still needs recuperation.

"Kenneth's lengthy imprisonment has exacted a physical and emotional toll on Kenneth and the rest of the family, and we cannot begin to predict the extent of the aftermath at this point," Chung's statement said. "We need time to recover privately."

Bae and Matthew Todd Miller, who had been doing hard labor for months in North Korea, stepped off a plane into the welcoming arms of family on Saturday after the surprise involvement of the top-ranking US intelligence official who traveled to Pyongyang to bring them home.

The two men arrived at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on a Boeing C-40 Clipper aircraft bearing the words "United States of America."

They were accompanied on their journey home by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, a senior US official said. Their release comes less than three weeks after another American was freed by Pyongyang.

 

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement