North Korean state media says Australian student Alek Sigley was accused of committing spying acts which led to his expulsion, ABC reported. 

Sigley was reportedly caught "red-handed" by a "relevant institution" of the North on June 25 and had abused his status as a student.

It is noted that Sigley honestly confessed that he was engaged in espionage.

"The six articles Alek published represent the full extent of his work with us and the idea that those columns, published transparently under his name between January and April 2019, are 'anti-state' in nature is a misrepresentation which we reject," Chad O'Carroll, CEO of NK News publisher the Korea Risk Group, said in a statement.