A Canadian pastor freed from a North Korean prison was met with cheers as he waded through a mob of people at church this morning, making his first public appearance since arriving home.
Hyeon Soo Lim is attended the Sunday service at the Light Presbyterian Church in Mississauga, Ont., where he works as a pastor.
He had been serving a life sentence of hard labour for alleged anti-state activities when he was released last week on what the North Korean government described as "sick bail."
Outside the church before the service, Lim told a group of reporters that he's proud to be a Canadian.
He made the appearance just one day after arriving home on a small government aircraft yesterday morning.
Hyeon Soo Lim spoke in Korean to the congregation.
Lim described eating nearly 3,000 meals in isolation, and says he was forced to break apart frozen coal in the winter, and dug holes a metre wide and a metre deep in the frozen ground.
He says the labour ``took a toll'' on his body, sending him to hospital for two months at one point.
He says he was sent to hospital in serious condition three other times.
For now Lim will spend some quality time with his family, including new grand daughter and will also reach out to some of the congregation in teh coming days.