An Australian student who was released after being held in North Korea had been "spying" in the reclusive country, state media said Saturday.
Alek Sigley, 29, disappeared around two weeks ago prompting deep concern about his fate, but was freed and flew to Japan on Thursday.
Official North Korean news agency KCNA said Sigley had "honestly admitted that he had been spying by collecting our internal information and sharing with others and repeatedly asked for our forgiveness for infringing on our sovereignty".
It said that Sigley -- one of just a handful of Westerners living and studying in North Korea -- had been detained on June 25 for promoting propaganda against the country online, including to specialist website NK News.
"Sigley, upon request by anti-DPRK news outlets such as NK News, on numerous occasions transferred information that he gathered while travelling to every corner of Pyongyang using his status as an international student, including photographs and analysis," it said, using the initials of North Korea's official name.
