Story highlights
Merrill Newman, 85, returned to the United States this weekend
He speaks to the Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper in California
Newman says he was fed traditional food and kept in a hotel room
An 85-year-old American man detained and later let go by North Korean authorities described his time in custody as comfortable.
Merrill Newman, who returned to the United States this weekend, told the Santa Cruz Sentinel in California that he was kept in a hotel room, not a jail cell, and fed traditional Korean food during his detention.
If anything, he was “bored,” the newspaper reported he said.
Newman had traveled in October as a tourist to North Korea on a 10-day organized tour. Authorities nabbed him just minutes before his Beijing-bound plane was set to depart Pyongyang.
American ‘deported’ by North Korea fought there 60 years ago
For weeks, the North Korean government offered no explanation as to why they were holding Newman.
An explanation finally came last month, when state media published and broadcast what they described as the Korean War veteran’s “apology.” The word was written atop the first of four handwritten pages detailing his alleged indiscretions.
In the note dated November 9, Newman talked about his having advised the Kuwol Unit, part of the “intelligence bureau” fighting against Pyongyang during the Korean War. He detailed how he commanded troops to collect “information” and wage deadly attacks.
“After I killed so many civilians and (North Korean) soldiers and destroyed strategic objects in the DPRK during the Korean War, I committed indelible offensive acts against the DPRK government and Korean people,” Newman said, according to that report.
When asked about the apology, Newman gave a smirk, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
“Obviously, that’s not my English,” he said.
Newman’s release coincided with a visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to South Korea, where he laid a wreath in honor of those who died in the war that pitted North against South.
A senior administration official said that Newman’s release was the result of direct contact between Washington and Pyongyang. The official said the North Koreans had told the Obama administration in a telephone call that they were releasing Newman; no explanation was offered.
In Palo Alto, California, Newman’s neighbors tied yellow ribbons around objects to welcome him back.
CNN’s Greg Botelho and Ben Brumfield contributed to this report.
