[h=3]By ALASTAIR GALE[/h]SEOUL—North Korea said a U.S. citizen detained in the country since late last year had been sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for unspecified "hostile acts" against the country.
Kenneth Bae, a tour operator from Washington state, was tried on Tuesday by North Korea's highest court, state news agency Korean Central News Agency reported in a brief dispatch Thursday.
"The Supreme Court sentenced him to 15 years of compulsory labor for this crime," KCNA said.
Associated PressA North Korean flag hangs inside the interior of Pyongyang's Supreme Court.
North Korea has provided no details of the alleged crime committed by Mr. Bae, but activists in Seoul say he was interested in bringing attention to humanitarian issues and may have been detained for the possession of images of homeless North Korean children.
Mr. Bae entered Rason, a North Korean special economic zone bordering China and Russia, in November last year with a tour group and was detained soon afterward.
In recent years, former U.S. presidents have traveled to North Korea to secure the release of detained U.S. citizens. South Korean media reported on Thursday that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was seeking a visit to North Korea that may be part of a move to bring Mr. Bae back.
Mr. Carter secured the release of Aijalon Mahli Gomes in 2010 after the U.S. citizen was found guilty of similar alleged crimes. Mr. Carter's office wasn't immediately available for comment on the media reports.
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Kenneth Bae, a tour operator from Washington state, was tried on Tuesday by North Korea's highest court, state news agency Korean Central News Agency reported in a brief dispatch Thursday.
"The Supreme Court sentenced him to 15 years of compulsory labor for this crime," KCNA said.
Associated PressA North Korean flag hangs inside the interior of Pyongyang's Supreme Court.
North Korea has provided no details of the alleged crime committed by Mr. Bae, but activists in Seoul say he was interested in bringing attention to humanitarian issues and may have been detained for the possession of images of homeless North Korean children.
Mr. Bae entered Rason, a North Korean special economic zone bordering China and Russia, in November last year with a tour group and was detained soon afterward.
In recent years, former U.S. presidents have traveled to North Korea to secure the release of detained U.S. citizens. South Korean media reported on Thursday that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was seeking a visit to North Korea that may be part of a move to bring Mr. Bae back.
Mr. Carter secured the release of Aijalon Mahli Gomes in 2010 after the U.S. citizen was found guilty of similar alleged crimes. Mr. Carter's office wasn't immediately available for comment on the media reports.
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