HONG KONG — North Korea accused a captive American military veteran of war crimes, saying he was involved in the killing of innocent civilians during the Korean War, state news media reported on Saturday.
The veteran, Merrill E. Newman, 85, of Palo Alto, Calif., has been detained in North Korea since Oct. 26, when he was taken off a flight as he was about to leave the country, which he had been visiting on a tourist visa.
The Korean Central News Agency said on Saturday that Mr. Newman had “admitted his crimes” and apologized for his actions during the war, which lasted from 1950 until 1953.
Mr. Newman, who is a retired technology executive, had served as an infantryman and had long wanted to revisit the country.
Mr. Newman’s son, Jeff Newman, had said that the day before his father was to leave, he had a meeting with his tour guide at which the Korean War was discussed.
The news agency said Mr. Newman had “masterminded espionage and subversive activities against the D.P.R.K. and in this course he was involved in killings of service personnel of the Korean People’s Army and innocent civilians.” The D.P.R.K. stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Relatives had appealed to the North Korean government to release Mr. Newman, with Jeff Newman calling the situation a “misunderstanding.” The son said that his father has a heart condition and a bad back and was on several medications.
Mr. Newman’s relatives were not immediately available to comment on his arrest and the accusations against him.
The detention of Mr. Newman led the United States to issue a travel warning about visiting North Korea, saying “U.S. citizens crossing into North Korea, even accidentally, have been subject to arbitrary arrest and long-term detention.”
Mr. Newman’s detention comes as North Korea continues to hold Kenneth Bae, 44, a Christian missionary who was sentenced in May to 15 years’ hard labor for committing “hostile acts” against the North. Mr. Bae’s mother was recently allowed to visit him in a hospital, where he was being treated after becoming ill after working at a labor camp.
When Mr. Newman was detained, he was at the end of a nine-day trip to North Korea with a companion from his California retirement village. The friend, Bob Hamrdla, said that Mr. Newman’s talk with the tour guide the day before his planned departure had not gone well, leaving him upset.
His flight was about to take off from Pyongyang to Beijing when he was pulled off the plane.
The State Department had no immediate comment on the North Korean report.
The veteran, Merrill E. Newman, 85, of Palo Alto, Calif., has been detained in North Korea since Oct. 26, when he was taken off a flight as he was about to leave the country, which he had been visiting on a tourist visa.
The Korean Central News Agency said on Saturday that Mr. Newman had “admitted his crimes” and apologized for his actions during the war, which lasted from 1950 until 1953.
Mr. Newman, who is a retired technology executive, had served as an infantryman and had long wanted to revisit the country.
Mr. Newman’s son, Jeff Newman, had said that the day before his father was to leave, he had a meeting with his tour guide at which the Korean War was discussed.
The news agency said Mr. Newman had “masterminded espionage and subversive activities against the D.P.R.K. and in this course he was involved in killings of service personnel of the Korean People’s Army and innocent civilians.” The D.P.R.K. stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Relatives had appealed to the North Korean government to release Mr. Newman, with Jeff Newman calling the situation a “misunderstanding.” The son said that his father has a heart condition and a bad back and was on several medications.
Mr. Newman’s relatives were not immediately available to comment on his arrest and the accusations against him.
The detention of Mr. Newman led the United States to issue a travel warning about visiting North Korea, saying “U.S. citizens crossing into North Korea, even accidentally, have been subject to arbitrary arrest and long-term detention.”
Mr. Newman’s detention comes as North Korea continues to hold Kenneth Bae, 44, a Christian missionary who was sentenced in May to 15 years’ hard labor for committing “hostile acts” against the North. Mr. Bae’s mother was recently allowed to visit him in a hospital, where he was being treated after becoming ill after working at a labor camp.
When Mr. Newman was detained, he was at the end of a nine-day trip to North Korea with a companion from his California retirement village. The friend, Bob Hamrdla, said that Mr. Newman’s talk with the tour guide the day before his planned departure had not gone well, leaving him upset.
His flight was about to take off from Pyongyang to Beijing when he was pulled off the plane.
The State Department had no immediate comment on the North Korean report.