美國學生失蹤12年 最後竟成金正恩的老師?

If true, it could be one of the most astonishing stories to ever emerge from North Korea.

如果這是真的，那麼這將會是朝鮮最匪夷所思的故事。

A media report last Friday repeated claims that a 24-year-old American man was kidnapped in China in 2004 and taken to Pyongyang to work as an English tutor for current leader Kim Jong Un.

上週五，再次有媒體報道稱，一位24歲的美國學生於2004年在中國被綁架後，被帶到朝鮮給現任領導人金正恩當英語老師。

However, the US State Department says there is no evidence to confirm reports that missionary David Sneddon was seized while hiking in China's Yunnan province.

然而，美國國務院表示，並無證據證明失蹤的大衛·斯奈登是在中國雲南登山時被抓到了朝鮮。

"The embassy in Beijing has been in regular, ongoing contact with the local authorities since David Sneddon was reported missing." US State Department Spokesman John Kirby said.

美國國務院發言人約翰·科比表示：“自斯奈登被報道失蹤後，北京的大使館一直有定期與當地政府保持聯繫。”

Sneddon went missing near the Tiger Leaping Gorge, just over 12 years ago, and when investigators failed to find any trace of him, Chinese authorities suggested he may have fallen to his death.

12年前，斯奈登在雲南虎跳峽附近失蹤，調查人員找不到任何線索，中國政府表示，他可能已經遇難。

Roy and Kathleen Sneddon have been searching for their son for more than a decade, including trips to China and petitions to the United States congress, according to their .

在過去十多年來，斯奈登的父親羅伊和母親凱思琳從未放棄過尋找兒子，他們還建了一個“幫忙尋找大衛”的網站，上面記錄着他們到中國去找尋以及到美國國會請願的過程。

"Our goal is to ensure that the US government does everything possible to investigate his likely abduction and secure his safe return to the US."

“我們的目的就是請求美國政府用盡所有可能的辦法，調查我們兒子是否被綁架，並保證他安全的回到美國。”

According to his parents' website, Sneddon spoke fluent Korean as well as some Mandarin. He had been working in Seoul, South Korea as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

據他父母網站上的介紹，斯奈登會講流利的韓語和一些中文。此外，斯奈登還曾在韓國首爾的一家教堂擔任過傳教士。