Singapore deports journalists in trespass case

Two South Korean journalists arrested on suspicion of trespassing at the residence of the North Korean ambassador have been deported, Singapore officials said.

“I think it’s a bad idea in any country to break into ambassadors’ residences. No different in Singapore. Case closed. They have been asked to leave,” law and home affairs minister Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam said.

The two men represented the Korean Broadcasting System News and were arrested on Friday.

They were not accredited as media personnel in Singapore.

The national broadcaster apologised for the incident in its Friday evening newscast.

Another KBS journalist and an interpreter are also under investigation.

The maximum penalty for criminal trespass is a jail term of three months and a fine of 1,500 Singapore dollars (£830).

Speaking to the media ahead of tomorrow’s summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Mr Shanmugam added that authorities have had to prevent three or four individuals from entering the country.

On Saturday, immigration authorities turned away “someone from a regional country” who was found to be visiting websites on suicide bombing, he said.

Australian Zaky Mallah, who was once tried on terrorism charges, was prevented from entering the city-state on Thursday due to his history of extremism.

Police have stepped up security around “special event areas” such as the summit’s venue on Sentosa Island, and hotels where Mr Trump and Mr Kim are expected to stay.