Australian student released from arrest in North Korea
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Alek Sigley, an Australian student who went Sigley had been pursuing a graduate degree in Korean literature at Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang. He also runs several social media sites about everyday life in the reclusive authoritarian state.missing in North Korea last week has been freed from detention, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.
Sigley had been pursuing a graduate degree in Korean literature at Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang. He also runs several social media sites about everyday life in the reclusive authoritarian state.
“Alek is safe and well … we were advised that the DPRK have released him from detention and he has safely left the country and I can confirm that he has arrived safely,” Morrison told Parliament.
It was the first time that an official confirmed that the 29-year-old had been detained, although Morrison did not provide an explanation about why he had been taken into custody.
Sigley’s family and friends sounded the alarm last week, saying they hadn’t heard from him since June 25.
Morrison also thanked Swedish authorities for helping to get the student released.
Australia does not have a diplomatic presence in North Korea but carries out consular work with the help of the Swedish Embassy in the capital Pyongyang.
