A fellow Christian who had traveled into North Korea with detained missionary Kenneth Bae said that, in her experiences, he and other missionaries were very cautious when working in the North.

The source, who knows many Christian organizations operating on the Chinese border with North Korea, said that missionaries entering into North Korea typically do so by opening a business. They will open a factory hiring North Korean employees, for instance, in the Rason Special Economic Zone.

The source said North Korean authorities were well-aware that business owners such as these and Bae, who owned a tour company, were Christian.