U.S. trying to confirm report of Robert Park's illegal entry into N. Korea: State Dept.

By Hwang Doo-hyong

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. said Monday it is seeking to confirm reports that an American missionary crossed into North Korea from China illegally to spotlight human rights violations in the reclusive communist state.

Robert Park, 28, entered the North on Christmas Day to draw international
attention to the human rights record in the North, which is believed to maintain
several concentration camps to accommodate tens of thousands of political
prisoners, according to reports citing his colleagues.
"We are concerned about these reports. We are looking into them," State
Department spokesman Ian Kelly said. "We don't have any independent confirmation
about either the report he has crossed over or about his whereabouts."
Kelly said the U.S. is "seeking further information" through "our Swedish
protecting power."
Sweden handles consular affairs involving U.S. citizens in North Korea, with
which Washington has no diplomatic relations.
The Swedish mission in Pyongyang helped secure the release of two American
journalists detained earlier this year for illegally entering the North from the
Chinese border while on a reporting tour on North Korean defectors.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton visited Pyongyang and met with its leader, Kim
Jong-il, in August to win their release.
Clinton's visit helped thaw Washington's ties with Pyongyang, leading to a visit
by Stephen Bosworth, special representative for North Korea policy, earlier this
month in the first high-level contact since President Obama's inauguration in
January.
Bosworth failed to obtain a commitment from the North to return to the six-party
talks on ending its nuclear weapons programs, which Pyongyang has boycotted due
to U.N. sanctions for its nuclear and missile tests.
Bosworth, however, said that Pyongyang has "indicated they would like to resume
the six-party process," and "agreed on the essential nature of the joint
statement of 2005."
The 2005 deal, involving the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia, calls
for North Korea's nuclear dismantlement in return for massive economic aid,
diplomatic recognition by Washington and Tokyo and establishment of a peace
regime to replace the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.
U.S. officials have said they were ready to have another high-level, face-to-face
meeting with the North to pave the way for reopening the multilateral nuclear
talks, but skeptics predict North Korea will continue dragging its feet even if
it returns.
Washington has said it will not reward the North just for returning to the table,
and reiterated that sanctions will continue until the North takes substantial
steps toward denuclearization.
A cargo plane was impounded in Bangkok earlier this month while carrying 35 tons
of North Korean weapons to an unknown destination.
Arms sales are one of the major sources of revenue for North Korea, suspected of
being behind nuclear and missile proliferation in Syria, Iran, Pakistan and
several other countries.
hdh@yna.co.kr
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