I mean he is detained. Anyone who enters another country without authorization tends to be detained, more so when they are or were recently part of a hostile armed force. He’s not free to just wander around. He entered the country illegally, was last part of an occupying force that wants to destroy the DPRK, is legally at war with them for 70 years, and they’re likely trying to decide what to do with him, investigate his story, ascertain if he’s a spy or there’s anything off about him like if he’s a threat, etc.
The thing is, what skills does he have to offer them? He probably can’t speak the native language (if he can that would make a huge difference in being accepted because he could actually integrate), he’s going to have culture shock. He’s frankly a risk that if they do accept him, he’ll leave anyways after a while because of the quality of life (no iPhone, no Facebook, no holidays or cultural norms like he’s used to, language barrier, etc), go back to the US, be coached to spin a story of his torture and the horrors of the place in exchange for a book deal or speaking tour and money and then it will have blown up in the DPRK’s face. They consider these things and many others when deciding.
If he’s sincere I wish him only the best and hope he can find a great life in the DPRK but there are many barriers to success.
I mean he is detained. Anyone who enters another country without authorization tends to be detained, more so when they are or were recently part of a hostile armed force. He’s not free to just wander around. He entered the country illegally, was last part of an occupying force that wants to destroy the DPRK, is legally at war with them for 70 years, and they’re likely trying to decide what to do with him, investigate his story, ascertain if he’s a spy or there’s anything off about him like if he’s a threat, etc.
The thing is, what skills does he have to offer them? He probably can’t speak the native language (if he can that would make a huge difference in being accepted because he could actually integrate), he’s going to have culture shock. He’s frankly a risk that if they do accept him, he’ll leave anyways after a while because of the quality of life (no iPhone, no Facebook, no holidays or cultural norms like he’s used to, language barrier, etc), go back to the US, be coached to spin a story of his torture and the horrors of the place in exchange for a book deal or speaking tour and money and then it will have blown up in the DPRK’s face. They consider these things and many others when deciding.
If he’s sincere I wish him only the best and hope he can find a great life in the DPRK but there are many barriers to success.