With 75 year old Australian citizen John Short becoming the fifth foreigner in possession of religious materials to be arrested in North Korea in the past five years, attention is growing surrounding the precise circumstances of his detention.

While a press release about Short's apprehension claimed he "was in possession of some Gospel tracts in the Korean language which seem to be at the core of the detention,” it is not yet clear whether the Christian missionary has been charged for reasons related to his faith.