A Facebook page keeping tabs on Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American detained in North Korea, has been launched, carrying messages of well-wishers from around the world.

The webpage, titled “Remember Ken Bae, Detained in North Korea,” was launched last December and carries news reports related to Bae along with messages of support for the 44-year-old American.

The page describes itself as “a place for friends to keep updated on a fellow citizen” but claims that it does not represent the official position of Bae’s family or any organization linked to him. As of Wednesday, 491 people “liked” the page, where people posted comments such as “Hope you return home safely!” “Praying for your safety” and “Free him!”

One person suggested that Bae was being used as a “pawn in very dangerous and political game,” speculation in keeping with experts’ analysis that Pyongyang is using him as a bargaining chip to pressure the United States.

A U.S. national of Korean descent, Bae was arrested last November by the communist state and was sentenced on Wednesday to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly attempting to overthrow the authoritarian regime.

Earlier in the day, Yonhap News reported that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was seeking a trip to North Korea. If Carter visits the reclusive country, he is expected to request the release of Bae.

Carter had successfully negotiated the release of another American national, Aijalon Mahli Gomes, in 2010.



By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)