Kenneth Bae`s mother visits Pyongyang for reunion

The mother of Kenneth Bae, a U.S. Christian missionary who has been detained in North Korea for 11 months, arrived in Pyongyang on Friday to meet her son.

In an interview with the Associated Press on Friday, Terry Chung, the missionary`s sister living in Seattle, said, "We`re very happy she`s being allowed to visit him." She added that her mother would meet his brother Friday.

After entering North Korea in November last year, Bae, a tour operator, was detained by the North Korean authorities on charges of trying to overthrow the North`s communist regime. He was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor and later moved to a hospital for his failing health.

In a video message posted on an Internet site campaigning for Bae`s release, the mother said she was "very surprised" to watch her son`s interview in prison and that she wanted to meet and hug her son as soon as possible.

Experts say that the North will likely capitalize on the reunion to seek a contact with the U.S.