DPRK slashes Canadian govt for 'taking issue' over life sentence of Canadian pastor

PYONGYANG - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday slashed the Canadian government for "taking issue" with the DPRK over the life sentence given to a South Korean-born Canadian pastor charged with anti-DPRK crimes.

The DPRK supreme court on Wednesday convicted Lim Hyeon Soo, a 60-year-old Canadian, of "hideous crimes" against the country including plots to subvert its social system and joining the United States and South Korea in hostilities toward the DPRK. Lim was sentenced to lifetime hard labor.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "very concerned" about the sentencing of Lim.

The official KCNA news agency quoted a DPRK foreign ministry spokesman as saying that it is "very shocking" that the Canadian government criticized the DPRK's judgment and even called this "violation of international law."

The spokesman said Lim was not supposed to have consular contact during investigations according to DPRK laws, but the DPRK side invited a Canadian delegation to attend the Wednesday trial as an exception and later allowed Lim to contact consular officials.

The spokesman said the Canadian government should apologize and take steps to prevent such cases from happening again, rather than "find fault with the DPRK."

"The Canadian side's unreasonable and uncouth response would only render the situation more complicated," the spokesman said.

Currently, the DPRK and Canada have not established diplomatic relations.