North Korea may have detained an elderly American who visited the country last month on a tourist visa, a diplomatic source told Kyodo News Service.
The source -- who was not named -- said the man entered the country on a sightseeing trip. But North Korea claims he broke the law while he was there, Kyodo News Service reported, according to Reuters.
"We are aware of reports that a U.S. citizen was detained in North Korea, but we have no additional information to share at this time,” said Nolan Barkhouse, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
The U.S. State Department also said it was aware of the report but could not confirm it.
On Nov. 7, North Korea arrested what it called a South Korean spy, but South Korean media said he was a 50-year-old missionary.
A U.S. Embassy official in Seoul who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said he believes the two cases are not related.
North Korea has been holding Korean-American Christian missionary Kenneth Bae since November 2012, claiming he brought into the country “propaganda materials" aimed at overthrowing the state.
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The source -- who was not named -- said the man entered the country on a sightseeing trip. But North Korea claims he broke the law while he was there, Kyodo News Service reported, according to Reuters.
"We are aware of reports that a U.S. citizen was detained in North Korea, but we have no additional information to share at this time,” said Nolan Barkhouse, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
The U.S. State Department also said it was aware of the report but could not confirm it.
On Nov. 7, North Korea arrested what it called a South Korean spy, but South Korean media said he was a 50-year-old missionary.
A U.S. Embassy official in Seoul who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said he believes the two cases are not related.
North Korea has been holding Korean-American Christian missionary Kenneth Bae since November 2012, claiming he brought into the country “propaganda materials" aimed at overthrowing the state.
Click for more from Reuters.