Jeffrey Fowle talks about being detained in North Korea for nearly six weeks, Friday, Oct. 31, 2014 in Lebanon, Ohio. Did he think God would protect him. "My fees wouldn't have bought a tank, that's for sure," he said. He bought the English-Korean Bible before his trip. Clearly his tour group was being watched because the next day the tour guide asked if anybody had left anything behind. He was detained a few days later while going through customs before departure. He said authorities couldn't believe he had acted on his own, but he made clear it was his own decision. The intention, in his mind, was "to have the U.S. government or some other entity step in to help resolve that situation." He said he never considered going off script, although he did reject requests that he try to be more emotional and more demanding of the U.S. government. Fowle said he felt that would make his situation worse at home. Fowle said his release came as a surprise — he thought he was about to be taken to prison — and he was told by an American who helped him escort him home that the North Korean government was responsible for his return. Fowle said he knew there was a risk but believed it was worth taking to get the Bible into the hands of North Korean Christians. His family suffered in his absence, especially after the city of Moraine was forced to terminate him when his leave was exhausted. (Photo: The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran ) 
 
 And he is more happy than ever to spend time at his church and to spend time with his wife and children. But some good has come of the incident, he said, including a deeper appreciation for his family. Fowle said he will be glad to return to his job with the city of Moraine, a Dayton suburb. The city agreed to give him his street department job back but said risky travel in the future would result in his firing. Fowle says he prays daily for the release of Bae and for Matthew Miller who was just sentenced to six years.
– When North Korea imprisoned American tourist Jeffrey Fowle, it accused him of planting a Bible in a bid to spread Christianity. A family spokesperson denied at the time that he was on a religious mission, but now that he's free, Fowle admits that Pyongyang was right. "I did, I knew I was going against the laws of the DPRK," the Ohio resident tells the Cincinnati Enquirer. "Having seen the plight of the people, I knew about the severe Christian persecution. I wanted to help them." The 56-year-old says he left the Bible in a public bathroom under a trash bin. The next day, a tour guide asked the group if anyone had left anything behind, and Fowle, whose name was on the Bible, raised his hand. He got detained two days later at the airport in Pyongyang and remained in custody for nearly six months. "I knew it was a risk, that I was taking a gamble, but I felt compelled to do that to aid the underground church in some small way," Fowle tells the AP in a separate interview. The married father of three is back to work Monday with the streets department in the city of Moraine. The city paid him during his absence, but his bosses have made clear that he'll lose his job if does something like this again. Two Americans remain detained in North Korea: Matthew Miller and Kenneth Bae.