Church: Canadian pastor missing in North Korea

TORONTO – Officials say a senior pastor at a Canadian church has been missing in North Korea since late January.

A spokeswoman for the Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Mississauga, Ont., said Rev. Hyeon Soo Lim travelled to North Korea on Jan. 31 as part of a regular humanitarian mission where he supports a nursing home, a nursery and an orphanage.

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Lisa Pak said his family and church have not heard from him since.

She said the trip was about helping people and not political.

Pak said Lim, 60, has made over 100 trips to North Korea and has always previously been in regular contact his family and his Toronto-area church.

He was scheduled to leave Feb. 4. Pak said they are not sure why they haven’t heard from him, but noted North Korea just lifted severe restrictions on foreign travel imposed last year to keep the Ebola virus from crossing its borders.