323:(CBC) reported the trial lasted 90 minutes and the charges included "harming the dignity of the supreme leadership, trying to use religion to destroy the North Korean system, disseminating negative propaganda about the North to the overseas Koreans, and helping U.S. and the South Korean authorities lure and abduct North Korean citizens, along with aiding their programs to assist defectors from the North."
235:. Under his leadership the congregation grew from a dozen people in 1986 to more than 3,000 members in 2015. It operates from a complex that includes a 1,773-seat sanctuary, an education wing of numerous classrooms, a 5,260-square-foot fellowship hall with a full commercial kitchen, a 6,650-square-foot gymnasium and a 248-seat chapel. He also runs a second young person-oriented church in downtown Toronto.
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Lim has done humanitarian work in a variety of countries, but he has visited North Korea over 100 times since 1997. These humanitarian missions have included support for a nursing home, a nursery, an orphanage, and much more. While his church blocked efforts to talk to people working with Lim for his
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found evidence of extensive efforts to start businesses, import and export food, glasses, fuel, and other goods, feed thousands of people, and even buy the largest hotel in North Korea. The for-profit business interests, in the magnitude of tens of millions of dollars, were used to fund humanitarian
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In a post-release interview, Lim attributed his arrest to a video clip of a speech he made at a
Christian conference in the United States, where he stated that North Koreans should "believe in God instead of Kim Il-sung and Jesus instead of Kim Jong-Il", which was posted on the internet without his
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suspended most contact with North Korea in 2010, and then imposed strict trade and travel sanctions. Canadian officials were using back channels and meeting on the edge of world conferences to press for Lim's release. The election of a
Liberal Party of Canada government was seen by his family as an
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news agency, "The court said Lim had attempted to overthrow the North Korean government and undermine its social system with 'religious activities' for the past 18 years". While North Korea was not specific about his alleged crimes, Xinhua reported that Lim confessed to helping people defect from
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KCNA further said that the prosecution sought the death penalty, but the defense requested leniency despite the gravity of his crimes "so that he can witness for himself the reality of the nation of the Sun as it grows in power and prosperity," Lim's lawyer was reported to have claimed "he had
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stated that it had been an "unduly harsh sentence given to Mr. Lim by a North Korean court, particularly given his age and fragile health." The
Canadian government had not been given access to Lim and that the lack of access represents "a serious violation of the
281:
first reported a link with Jang's circle, and Lim's cooperation with North Korean officials who had ties to Jang could have been a problem according to experts on the DPRK. Any links between Lim and political elites were denied by spokespersons from Lim's church.
310:(KCNA) Lim admitted during the trial to "not only viciously defaming the highest dignity of Korea and its system but also possessing the wicked intention of trying to topple the Republic by staging an anti-state conspiracy." According to China's official
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providing tens of millions of dollars' worth of aid before disappearing in
February 2015. The DPRK had arrested him and in December 2015, Lim was sentenced to life with hard labour for crimes against the North Korean regime.
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efforts. Lim maintained high-level contacts in North Korea and Canada, including with the Prime
Minister's office. He cooperated with people around the world including the US, New Zealand, China and other places.
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in
Pyongyang. "The worst crime I committed was to rashly defame and insult the highest dignity and the system of the republic." Former prisoners in North Korea report being coerced into similar confessions.
197:. The family attended a devout Christian church that produced numerous pastors and missionaries. His father, who was born in North Korea, held an office job and his mother worked at a family supermarket.
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Working with government officials is unavoidable in a state where everything is under government control, but working with the North Korean government increases risk. Lim focused his efforts around
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In 1996, during the North Korean four-year famine that killed an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 people, Lim took an interest in helping North
Koreans and used his church as a support base.
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reported is staffed by a single person. Diplomatic contact between Canada and North Korea is also made via United
Nations representatives. In recent years, Liberal Prime Minister
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A longtime friend, now a pastor in
California, recalls that in high school it was already clear to the two of them that they "were going to do God's work." Lim was active with
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office has said little about Lim's situation. North Korea and Canada do not have regular diplomatic relations, with Canada using the
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He was released on August 9, 2017, after a
Canadian delegation visited Pyongyang and arrived back in Canada on August 12, 2017.
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On December 16, 2015, Lim was sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour for crimes against the state of North Korea.
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Lim travelled to North Korea on January 31, 2015, crossing the land border with China to visit the northeastern city of
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to discuss the case. Lim was released from detention on August 9, 2017, and arrived in Canada on August 12, 2017.
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649:"Light Korean Presbyterian church | Snyder | transformative design. controlled outcome"
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823:"Hyeon Soo Lim, Toronto pastor, sentenced to life in prison in North Korea - Toronto - CBC News"
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420:"North Korea sentences Canadian to life in prison for 'anti-state activities' | CTV News"
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Lim joined or founded and became the senior pastor of the Light Korean Presbyterian Church in
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874:"Canadian Pastor Jailed In North Korea Forgives Those Who Caused Prosecution | BosNewsLife"
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website in August, Hyeon appeared to read from a script to a nearly empty state-operated
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regarding the plans (Mongolia is a known path out for North Korean defectors). The
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established diplomatic ties with the DPRK in 2001 but Conservative Prime Minister
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625:"North Korea sentences Canadian pastor to hard labor for life - Yahoo News"
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which is an important North Korean effort to gain foreign investment. The
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Lim moved to Canada in January 1986, "as part of a missionary group." In
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786:. AISAEVOL. 3 August 2015. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016
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597:"Canadian pastor returns home after release from North Korean prison"
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569:"North Korea releases imprisoned Canadian pastor - World - CBC News"
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and the right of states to have consular access to their citizens."
677:"Hyeon Soo Lim: Canadian pastor given life sentence in North Korea"
548:"Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on Pastor Lim's release"
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Because of the sensitivity of the situation and privacy rules the
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frankly confessed to everything the prosecution had brought up."
165:-born Canadian citizen. He was operating humanitarian efforts in
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Dave Shortell, Greg Botelho and Vivian Kam (16 December 2015).
489:"GTA pastor confirmed held in North Korea | Toronto Star"
465:"Unravelling the mystery behind the detention of reverend Lim"
731:"Canada's election gives hope to family of Hyeon Soo Lim"
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sent a Canadian international government delegation to
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permission and noticed by North Korean authorities.
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315:North Korea, and that he had met the
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334:Diplomatic efforts to secure release
517:Shortell, Dave (16 December 2015).
273:, an uncle of North Korean leader
16:Korean Canadian pastor (born 1955)
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940:Canadian people of Korean descent
930:Canadian people imprisoned abroad
321:Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
306:According to the DPRK's official
910:South Korean emigrants to Canada
359:opportunity for a breakthrough.
346:embassy in Pyongyang, which the
223:Light Korean Presbyterian Church
219:. He became a Canadian citizen.
925:Canadian Presbyterian ministers
173:In August 2017, Prime Minister
915:Naturalized citizens of Canada
623:Kim, Jack (16 December 2015).
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872:Bos, Stefan J. (2017-09-16).
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217:Presbyterian Church in Canada
317:U.S. ambassador to Mongolia
263:Rason Special Economic Zone
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211:, Lim studied theology at
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202:Campus Crusade for Christ
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340:Canadian Foreign Affairs
296:North Korean propaganda
757:Canada (2015-03-02).
704:Canada (2015-03-05).
23:, the family name is
761:. The Globe and Mail
708:. The Globe and Mail
552:Government of Canada
279:Agence France-Presse
215:, a seminary of the
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685:. 16 December 2015
554:. August 10, 2017.
469:The Globe and Mail
250:The Globe and Mail
550:(Press release).
242:Humanitarian work
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497:Toronto Star
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689:16 December
493:Thestar.com
388:Kenneth Bae
275:Kim Jong-un
261:, near the
229:Mississauga
191:South Korea
167:North Korea
159:Mississauga
147::
118:Im Hyeon-su
63:South Korea
21:Korean name
894:Categories
879:2021-07-21
832:2015-12-16
765:2015-12-16
740:2015-12-16
712:2015-12-16
659:2015-12-16
634:2015-12-16
578:2017-08-09
528:2015-12-16
503:2015-12-16
474:2015-12-16
434:2015-12-16
424:Ctvnews.ca
395:References
185:Early life
161:. He is a
132:Im HyĆn-su
70:Occupation
48:1955-02-16
179:Pyongyang
857:9 August
800:cite web
790:9 August
463:Canada.
428:CTV News
382:See also
247:safety,
19:In this
784:YouTube
735:CNN.com
601:Reuters
523:CNN.com
344:Swedish
233:Ontario
209:Toronto
827:Cbc.ca
573:Cbc.ca
312:Xinhua
155:pastor
145:Korean
96:Hangul
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292:Rajin
267:Rason
259:Rajin
195:Seoul
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852:CNN
150:ìíì
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