North Korea Releases 21-Year-Old South Korean Student Joo Won Moon Detained For Allegedly Crossing Into North Korea From China
21-year-old Joo Won Moon is a South Korea student from New York University, who was detained in April for allegedly crossing into North Korea from China. Joo says he wanted to be arrested thinking that it would have a good impact on the relations between the two Koreas.
"I thought that by my entrance to the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea], illegally I acknowledge, I thought that some great event could happen and hopefully that event could have a good effect on the relations between the north and [South Korea]," he says, as reported by CNN on May 7.
He goes on, "I hope that I will be able to tell the world how an ordinary college student entered the DPRK illegally but however with the generous treatment of the DPRK that I will be able to return home safely."
According to reports, the South Korea citizen entered North Korea through the Yalu River.
On the other hand, South Korean officials say that the North repatriated Joo on Monday. An official from the Unification Ministry says they are "fortunate" that the North has decided to release the South Korean citizen after being detained for six months.
South Korea also urges its rival to release the three other South Koreans who are punished for allegedly spying for Seoul's intelligence agency.
In addition, the North Korea says they have released Joo as a "humanitarian measure." Also, South Korea's National Intelligence Service will investigate whether the South Korean student breached the country's security laws in crossing into North without consent, as reported by New York Daily News Oct. 5.
Joo, who lives in New Jersey, is a permanent resident of the United States. According to him, he decided to go to North Korea after failing to get a job in California.
Meanwhile, New York University says they are relieved after Joo's release.
"He and his family have been in our thoughts. We're relieved to learn of his release and glad for this good outcome," says spokesman John Beckman.
Also, a professor at the University of North Korean studies says the release of Joo is a good sign for better inter-Korean relations.
"By releasing Joo, North Korea appears to give South Korea a message showing that the North protects human rights," says Yang Moo Jin, as noted by Yonhap News Agency on the same day.