THE Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) expelled an Australian student studying in Pyongyang for anti-DPRK acts Thursday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Saturday. The report said that Alek Sigley was caught “committing anti-DPRK incitement” through the Internet on June 25. “He honestly admitted his spying acts of systematically collecting and offering data to foreign media about the domestic situation of the DPRK and repeatedly asked for pardon,” the official media said. The DPRK Government expelled him “by showing humanitarian leniency,” said the report. Sigley arrived in Tokyo on Thursday after telling reporters he was in “very good” condition, but without saying what happened to him. His father, Gary Sigley, a professor of Asian studies at the University of Western Australia, said his son was treated well in North Korea. Sigley had been studying at a Pyongyang university and guiding tours in the North Korean capital before disappearing from social media contact with family and friends. KCNA said Sigley, who was caught “red-handed” by a “relevant institution” of the DPRK on June 25, had abused his status as a student by “combing” through Pyongyang and providing photos and other information to news sites such as NK News and other “anti-DPRK” media. Sigley was released following intervention by Swedish diplomats. After his arrival in Beijing, he went to Tokyo to reunite with his Japanese wife, whom he married in Pyongyang last year. During his time in Pyongyang, Sigley often shared details about his life in Pyongyang through social media and the website of his travel agency, Tongil Tours, frequently challenging negative outside perceptions about the DPRK. He also wrote op-eds and essays that appeared in the Western media, including NK News. (SD-Xinhua) |