Korean American Kenneth Bae remains in a Pyongyang prison despite a visit with North Korean leaders by Google chairman Eric Schmidt and former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, reports NBC.
The pair was not able to meet with Bae, but did pass on a letter from Bae’s son. Richardson also says he pushed North Korea to ensure that Bae’s judicial and personal rights would be protected.
“We pushed to make sure that there were strong protections for Kenneth,” said Richardson.
Bae is a tour guide from Washington state. Media reports in North Korea says Bae was arrested last November after being found with sensitive data. That has not been confirmed. The visit by Schmidt and Richardson happened over the objections of the U.S. State Department.