Lim, a Canadian citizen, visited North Korea frequently over the past two decades, leading more than 100 humanitarian aid missions there.
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The diplomats who met with Lim also attended his trial on Tuesday where he received a life sentence from the North Korean court, Pak said.
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He was also accused of fabricating and spreading propaganda to tarnish the image of Pyongyang as well as funding and helping “defectors” to flee North Korea.
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A spokeswoman for Canada’s federal department of Global Affairs called Lim’s life sentence “unduly harsh”.
Lim’s family said earlier that they were hoping for better developments regarding his case now that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has taken presidency.
“The Canadian government is inciting a quarrel by blaming our fair judicial measures of creating ‘concern, ‘ and ‘violating worldwide law, ‘ when it is their citizen that has committed an unscrupulous criminal act…we can only be appalled”, the spokesman said.
Somehow, the North Korean government gave Lim some leeway as the 60-year-old pastor told the Canadian officials that he was allowed to have access to his blood pressure medication.
Canada has called for the North to release him, condemning the North’s move.
Hyeon Soo Lim is shown speaking during a news conference at the People’s Palace of Culture in Pyongyang in a photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on July 30. “They are relieved that he’s been able to have access by Canadian officials, not just North Korea saying he’s OK”.
North Korea’s highest court has ruled on December 16 that Lim, who is a pastor at the Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Toronto, has tried to harm the dignity of North Korea’s supreme leadership and attempted to bring down the government and establish a religious state in its place.
“We are very concerned about someone being sentenced to life”.
State prosecutors had sought the death penalty. During his most recent trip in January to monitor ongoing humanitarian projects, including orphanages and a nursing home, his church and family lost contact with him.
Lisa Pak said Lim cried when diplomats passed on a message from his son, who had said, “We’re all proud of you”, the Toronto Sun reported.
The Light Korean Presbyterian Church has been the focus of Mr. Lim’s life since he arrived in Canada in 1986 from South Korea.
All those comments prompted an angry reaction from North Korea today.
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“We want to be very careful … we don’t want to offend them … we just want to help them and love them”, said Pak.
