Freed pastor makes it home

Photo: The Canadian Press

Hyeon Soo Lim is back in Canada after his release from North Korea.

A Mississauga, Ont., pastor released from prison in North Korea this week has returned to Canada.

Family spokeswoman Lisa Pak says Hyeon Soo Lim had a "private reunion" with his family late Saturday morning.

Lim, a pastor with the Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Mississauga, had been serving a life sentence with hard labour for anti-state activities when the North Korean government released him on what it described as "sick bail".

Pak says Lim is currently resting, but will attend service at his church tomorrow.

The federal government says it's celebrating Lim's "long-awaited" return to Canada.

"Canada has been actively engaged on Mr. Lim’s case at all levels, and we will continue to support him and his family now that he has returned," a statement from Global Affairs Canada reads.

Lim's family is expected to address the media Saturday afternoon.

Note to readers: This is corrected story. A previous version had the first name of the pastor spelled incorrectly.