SEOUL – Kenneth Bae, the American citizen who was arrested in North Korea late last year, has finally stood trial and, predictably, was convicted.

His sentence was 15 years of hard labor. The North Korean authorities also said that he would not be sent to a regular prison camp, but a “special” penitentiary instead – they did not further elaborate (beyond saying “education centre” in Korean).

Paradoxically, however, this might indicate that Mr. Bae has a pretty good chance of returning home alive (albeit perhaps not in the immediate future).

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When it comes to human