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(2nd LD) N. Korea says it will release U.S. missionary
SEOUL, Feb. 5 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Friday it will free an American missionary who walked into the communist state in December with the goal of drawing attention to its human rights record, a move analysts say aimed at hastening a thaw in its frozen relations with the U.S.
Robert Park, a 28-year-old Christian missionary from Tucson, Arizona, entered the North across the frozen Tumen river on the border with China in late December to urge North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to free all political prisoners and improve human rights.
The official Korean Central News Agency, in its English language service, said Pyongyang has "decided to leniently forgive and release him, taking his admission and sincere repentance of his wrong doings into consideration." It did not elaborate when the Korean-American will be released.
Analysts here noted the North Korean move comes as the country is insisting on its demand that U.N. sanctions on it be eased before it rejoins six-nation talks on its nuclear arms programs.
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