US student Won-moon Joo faces uncertain future after illegally entering North Korea

A US student had a worthy goal; to reconcile North and South Korea. Just how entering North Korea illegally was going to do that is anyone’s guess. But he may pay a very heavy price for his actions.

‘I am willing to accept any punishment’

A US resident is facing a long stint in jail after he illegally entered North Korea in what he said was an attempt to bring about a peaceful end to the conflict on the Korean peninsula.

New York University student Won-moon Joo, crossed into North Korea from China last month, driven partly by curiosity and a desire to engineer a “great event’ that would see North and South Korea reconcile.

But he even he doesn’t know how that would have happened.

“I thought that by my entrance to the DPRK, 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],” Joo told CNN.

To get into the reclusive country he had to cross two barbed wire fences and walk through farmland until he reached a river, where he was arrested by soldiers.

“I wanted to be arrested ...[and am] willing to accept any punishment,” Joo told CNN in an interview in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.

Won-moon Joo slipped into North Korea from the Great Wall of China, northeast of Dandong, last month.

“Once the thought of entering the DPRK seeped into my mind, I couldn’t really escape it. I guess I constantly thought about it,” he says. “I thought that as an American permanent resident and South Korean citizen that my entrance could have some good effect.”

His interview with the broadcaster was his first opportunity to send any kind of message to outside world.

His North Korea captives were keen to showcase how well he was being looked after. His “cell” has three beds and a bathroom, and he claims he has been well fed and is healthy.

“Of course I understand my parents and my loved ones are worrying a lot about me. But I would like to say that I’m well and there’s no need to worry because the people here have treated me with the best of humanitarian treatment,” he says.

But he doesn’t have access to the internet, radio or television and cannot make phone calls. And he admits it may be some time before he’ll know if he will face charges or be able to contact the outside world.

Originally published as US student Won-moon Joo faces uncertain future after illegally entering North Korea