(UTV|COLOMBO) – Australian Alek Sigley who went missing in North Korea last week has been “released and safe”, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said.
It comes after a meeting between officials from the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang and the North Korean government.
Australia does not have its own embassy in the North Korean capital.
Mr Sigley, 29, was pursuing a master’s degree and running a tourism business in Pyongyang.
It is not known why the student, a fluent Korean speaker, had been detained.
The news of his release was first reported by specialist website NK News which said he was safely in China and would travel on to Japan.
“I’m ok, yeah, I’m good, I’m very good,” Mr Sigley is seen saying on footage reportedly showing his arrival in Beijing, according to Australian media.
The 29-year-old’s father later told local news outlets that their family was “over the moon that he is safe and sound”.
“Last week has been very difficult… we’re just happy that the situation has been resolved. He tried to ring me a few minutes ago, I will talk to him some time today,” Gary Sigley told local outlets outside their family home in Perth. (BBC)
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