South Korean NYU Student Detained in North Korea Says He Wanted to be Arrested
Joo Won-moon, a junior at NYU’s Stern School of Business, told CNN on Tuesday that he acknowledges he crossed into North Korea illegally but that he was hoping for some “great event” afterward.
“Hopefully, that event could affect relations between North and South,” he said.
When CNN asked Joo what that event could be, he said, “I’m not sure yet.”
Joo also said he has not been able to make phone calls to his family and that he has not been able to make contact with embassies.
The South Korean national said he took a semester off from school and traveled from New Jersey to California in search of work. When he could not land a job, he told CNN he made his way to North Korea through China.
Joo found his way to North Korea by going to a segment of The Great Wall of China, then walking down a river, “wanting to be arrested” by North Korean authorities as he drew closer.
He said he also cut his way through two barbed wire fences.
Joo said he has been fed and was sleeping well. He apologized to his family for creating worry over his condition.
Joo’s parents believed he was leaving for China on holiday and did not know he was being held captive until a friend told them of the breaking news.
Voice of America reported the South Korean government voiced “strong regrets” over the detainment of Joo and urged his release.
