Americans Detained in North Korea Speak Out to CNN
Three Americans detained in North Korea spoke out about their conditions Monday in an exclusive TV interview with CNN.
Kenneth Bae, Matthew Todd Miller and Jeffrey Edward Fowle met with CNN's Will Ripley at a hotel in Pyongyang. Each was given five minutes for an interview.
Bae, who is serving a 15-year prison sentence for "hostile acts to bring down its government," said he is working eight hours a day, six days a week at a labor camp.
North Korea claims Bae was part of a Christian plot to overthrow the regime.
"Continue to pray for me," he asked of his friends and family.
Despite what he called "hard labor," Bae said he has been treated "as humanely as possible."
Miller, who is accused of tearing up his tourist visa and seeking asylum upon entry, pleaded for help from the U.S. government during his interview.
"My situation is very urgent, that very soon I am going to trial, and I would directly be sent to prison," Miller said.
He said he will not learn of his charges until he goes to trial.
And Fowle, an American tourist accused of leaving a Bible in a hotel where he was staying, said he has "no complaints" about his treatment.
"It's been very good so far, and I hope and pray that it continues, while I'm here two more days or two more decades," he said.
All three men said they signed statements admitting their guilt.
Ferry Crew's Actions 'Akin to Murder'
South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday likened the actions of the captain and some crew members of the sunken ferry Sewol to murder, as police made more arrests and divers continued searching the submerged vessel.
The captain of the South Korean ship, Lee Joon-seok, is already facing a series of criminal charges for his role in last week's sinking, in which at least 64 people have died and 238 others remain missing. Many of them are students and teachers on a field trip from a high school near Seoul.
"The actions of the captain and some of the crew are absolutely unacceptable, unforgivable actions that are akin to murder," Park said Monday in comments released by her office. She said she and other South Koreans were filled with "rage and horror."
Her strong words come after more details emerged over the weekend about the chaos and confusion aboard the doomed ferry as the disaster unfolded in the cold waters of the Yellow Sea off South Korea's southwest coast.
A radio transcript released by authorities suggested that passengers on the ship couldn't reach lifeboats to escape because the ship tilted so quickly that it left many of them unable to move.
As the search goes on, the actions of the captain and crew remain under scrutiny.
The captain was not in the steering room when the accident took place, according to police and his own account.
He said he plotted the ship's course, and then went to his cabin briefly "to tend to something." It was then, the captain said, that the accident happened.
A crew member, described as the third mate and identified only as Park, appeared in handcuffs with Capt. Lee at the weekend.
The third mate said she did not make a sharp turn, but "the steering turned much more than usual."
The captain and the third mate both apologized to the bereaved families.
Park is facing charges including negligence and causing injuries leading to deaths, authorities said. A technician with the surname Cho is also facing the same charges, they said.
The captain was one those rescued soon after the Sewol began to sink, violating an "internationally recognized rule that a captain must stay on the vessel," maritime law attorney Jack Hickey said.
"Pretty much every law, rule, regulation and standard throughout the world says that yes, the captain must stay with the ship until all personnel are safely off of the ship, certainly passengers."
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