THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: N. Korea will not free US detainees until former detainee won't talk

North Korea will not negotiate with the United States over two American citizens it is holding until former detainee Kenneth Bae stops publicly talking about his time in prison, according to state media.

The Korean Peninsula, criticised over its human rights record for years, has made use of detained Americans in the past to extract high-profile visits from the US. Bae was arrested in late 2012 and sentenced him to hard labor against the state. He was released two years later and has written an account of his detention in a memoir released in May. Since then, Bae has spoken about his experiences at several public appearances and given interviews to promote his book.

During his detention, Bae said he realised he became a negotiating tool for the North Koreans, some of whom he described as brainwashed in a recent interview with South Korea with a defector-run group that broadcasts into the North.

Source: http://dzrhnews.com/north-korea-says-not-to-free-u-s-citizens-until-former-detainee-stops-babbling/