On Christmas Eve 2009, Robert Park, 29, crossed into North Korea in hopes of drawing attention to the Communist nation's human rights violations and persecution of Christians. Park was arrested and imprisoned in North Korea and released after six weeks. Since his release, Park has not spoken about his imprisonment—due in part, he said, to fears for Christian activist Aijalon Mahli Gomes's safety—and he declined to say anything publicly about North Korea until Gomes was safe.