SYDNEY, Australia — An Australian man studying at a North Korean university who went missing last week was freed from detention on Thursday by the North after Swedish officials took up his plight with Kim Jong-un’s government. The disappearance of Alek Sigley, 29, who was pursuing a master’s degree in Korean literature at Kim Il-sung University in Pyongyang, had raised fears that he might be facing a long detention in North Korea’s notoriously harsh prison system. Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia first announced Mr. Sigley’s release during a session of Parliament. He credited the intervention of the Swedish officials, saying they had raised the issue of Mr. Sigley’s disappearance on Wednesday on Australia’s behalf. Mr. Sigley was then released Thursday morning, the prime minister said.

Source: International New York Times July 04, 2019 04:37 UTC