American Expelled on Spying Charges

AU.S. citizen has been expelled on spying charges, North Korean media reported. The American, identified as So Son Dok, was “caught red-handed” collecting military secrets Sept. 29, the official Korean Central News Agency said. So was staying in the Rajin-Sonbong free-trade zone on a joint-venture business trip when he was arrested, the agency said. “His espionage activity was a grave violation of the sovereignty of [North Korea]. So he should have been severely punished,” it said. So was expelled instead because “he honestly admitted and apologized for his crime, and the U.S. government repeatedly asked for lenient handling,” the report said.