The tension between totalitarian state North Korea and the United States seem to escalate even further now that the North detained yet another U.S. citizen. Taking the total number of American detainees to four, this also the second time the North apprehended a staff member of Pyongyang University of Science and Technology.
According to The Washington Post, US citizen Kim Hak-song was taken in last Saturday due to suspicion of instigating "hostile acts" against the country. The official Korean Central News Agency reported on the said arrest but declined to give further details.
The family and colleagues of Song were shocked about his arrest, as they said that Song actually refers North Korea as his "own country". Despite being a US citizen, Song was apparently committed to improving the lives of North Koreans by refining their agriculture technology, according to CNN.
A close friend of Song's, David Kim, recounted how much Song devoted himself to the betterment of life of the citizens of North Korea. "He was a very diligent, hardworking man determined to help people in North Korea," he said.
"Professor Kim was a man who would call North Korea as his own country. He went to Pyongyang to devote himself to the development of North Korea's agricultural technology so that the North can be self-sufficient with food. As he struggled to fund some of his projects, he would spend money out of his own pocket."
Kim Hak Song was an ethnic Korean who became a naturalized American citizen during the 2000's. He majored in agriculture and facilitated projects at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology to enhance the agriculture economy there. No details about his condition were yet confirmed.
The US State Department is already aware of Song's arrest. Since the diplomatic relations between the US and the North are practically nil, the State Department is working with the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang to negotiate Song's predicament.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
