CNN posted an interview with Canadian pastor Lim Hyeon-soo, detained in a North Korean prison, Monday.
Lim said he digs holes to plant apple trees in the prison orchard, eight hours a day, six days a week, he said in the interview that was conducted in a meeting room in Pyongyang.
The pastor, 60, accused of using religion to overthrow the atheist regime, is serving a life sentence with hard labor. He has been in the labor camp since his trial in December.
The video shows two guards bringing and seating Lim in a room. Although Lim is comfortable speaking in English, North Korean authorities ordered him to answer questions in Korean, according to CNN, which said authorities were probably listening in another room.
Lim said he has not seen other inmates. He also said he receives regular medical care and three regular meals a day.
"The work was hard at first because I was not a (physical) laborer, but I have gotten used to it."
He is wearing loose-fitting prison clothes, making it impossible to tell if he had lost weight.
Asked if there was anything he needed, Lim replied a Bible, which he has requested but not yet received.
He said he very much would like letters from his family. Lim has received two letters from his family in Canada and has sent one through the Swedish Embassy, which acts as the U.S. Embassy. Lim said he did not know if his letter was delivered.
Lim was detained last January while on a humanitarian trip to the isolated communist state.
The pastor of a 3,000-member church in Toronto had made frequent trips to North Korea, because his church was involved in aid projects involving orphanages and nurseries.
Lim, born in South Korea, immigrated to Canada in 1986.
Lim said he digs holes to plant apple trees in the prison orchard, eight hours a day, six days a week, he said in the interview that was conducted in a meeting room in Pyongyang.
The pastor, 60, accused of using religion to overthrow the atheist regime, is serving a life sentence with hard labor. He has been in the labor camp since his trial in December.
The video shows two guards bringing and seating Lim in a room. Although Lim is comfortable speaking in English, North Korean authorities ordered him to answer questions in Korean, according to CNN, which said authorities were probably listening in another room.
Lim said he has not seen other inmates. He also said he receives regular medical care and three regular meals a day.
"The work was hard at first because I was not a (physical) laborer, but I have gotten used to it."
He is wearing loose-fitting prison clothes, making it impossible to tell if he had lost weight.
Asked if there was anything he needed, Lim replied a Bible, which he has requested but not yet received.
He said he very much would like letters from his family. Lim has received two letters from his family in Canada and has sent one through the Swedish Embassy, which acts as the U.S. Embassy. Lim said he did not know if his letter was delivered.
Lim was detained last January while on a humanitarian trip to the isolated communist state.
The pastor of a 3,000-member church in Toronto had made frequent trips to North Korea, because his church was involved in aid projects involving orphanages and nurseries.
Lim, born in South Korea, immigrated to Canada in 1986.
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