John Short, in his first long-form interview since being released from North Korean custody earlier this month, told Australia’s Advertiser newspaper about his time in North Korean detention, including his 11-day hunger strike.

Short, 75, was arrested in Pyongyang in mid-February for distributing leaflets with biblical messages translated into Korean, an activity he confirmed during the interview. 

He said that when visiting a Christian church in Pyongyang on the second day of a four-day cultural tour, he had handed an envelope containing A$160 (US$145) worth of Chinese currency, along with several religious leaflets, to its pastor. It was when he