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| North Korea Is Said to Detain Another U.S. Citizen | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea has detained a United States citizen, the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang and a university chancellor said on Sunday, raising the number of Americans thought to be held by the secretive nation to three. | |
| The arrest, if confirmed, would further complicate Washington’s relations with the country at a particularly tense moment. | The arrest, if confirmed, would further complicate Washington’s relations with the country at a particularly tense moment. |
| The man, Tony Kim, who also goes by his Korean name, Kim Sang-duk, was detained on Saturday, Park Chan-mo, the chancellor of Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, told The Associated Press. | |
| Mr. Park said Mr. Kim had taught accounting at the university for about a month, and had taught at the Yanbian University before coming to Pyongyang. He said Mr. Kim had been detained by officials at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang as he was trying to leave North Korea. | |
| South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, citing unnamed sources, early said that a Korean-American man identified only by his last name, Kim, was arrested at the airport. | |
| It said the man, who is in his late 50s and is a former professor at the Yanbian University of Science and Technology in China, has been involved in aid and relief programs to North Korea. | It said the man, who is in his late 50s and is a former professor at the Yanbian University of Science and Technology in China, has been involved in aid and relief programs to North Korea. |
| The Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang, the capital, said it was aware that the North had recently detained a Korean-American citizen, The Associated Press reported. The United States does not have formal diplomatic ties with North Korea, and the embassy looks after consular affairs in the North on behalf of Washington. | The Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang, the capital, said it was aware that the North had recently detained a Korean-American citizen, The Associated Press reported. The United States does not have formal diplomatic ties with North Korea, and the embassy looks after consular affairs in the North on behalf of Washington. |
| The South Korean government, including its Unification Ministry and National Intelligence Service, said it could not confirm the report. | The South Korean government, including its Unification Ministry and National Intelligence Service, said it could not confirm the report. |
| North Korea has a history of detaining foreigners. The North has been accused of holding Americans on what many see as dubious charges in order to use them as diplomatic leverage. At least two other Americans are known to be held in the country. | North Korea has a history of detaining foreigners. The North has been accused of holding Americans on what many see as dubious charges in order to use them as diplomatic leverage. At least two other Americans are known to be held in the country. |
| Relations with Washington have reached a pitch recently, as North Korea has tested missiles and the United States has threatened to send warships to the region. | Relations with Washington have reached a pitch recently, as North Korea has tested missiles and the United States has threatened to send warships to the region. |
| Last year, North Korea sentenced an American college student, Otto F. Warmbier, to 15 years’ hard labor after accusing him of trying to steal a political banner from his hotel in Pyongyang. It later sentenced another American, Kim Dong-chul, to 10 years’ hard labor on charges of spying and other offenses. | Last year, North Korea sentenced an American college student, Otto F. Warmbier, to 15 years’ hard labor after accusing him of trying to steal a political banner from his hotel in Pyongyang. It later sentenced another American, Kim Dong-chul, to 10 years’ hard labor on charges of spying and other offenses. |
| In 2014, an American citizen, Jeffrey E. Fowle, was arrested and accused of leaving a Bible in a hotel. He was released later that year. | In 2014, an American citizen, Jeffrey E. Fowle, was arrested and accused of leaving a Bible in a hotel. He was released later that year. |
| Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American missionary sentenced to 15 years’ hard labor after he was charged with trying to establish a secret proselytizing network, was freed in 2014, after the American government sent the director of national intelligence at the time, James R. Clapper Jr., to North Korea. | Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American missionary sentenced to 15 years’ hard labor after he was charged with trying to establish a secret proselytizing network, was freed in 2014, after the American government sent the director of national intelligence at the time, James R. Clapper Jr., to North Korea. |
| Americans are not the only foreigners being held in the North. In 2015, a South Korea-born Canadian pastor was sentenced there to hard labor for life on charges of plotting to overthrow the North Korean leadership. The North has also arrested at least four South Koreans on spying and other charges in recent years. | Americans are not the only foreigners being held in the North. In 2015, a South Korea-born Canadian pastor was sentenced there to hard labor for life on charges of plotting to overthrow the North Korean leadership. The North has also arrested at least four South Koreans on spying and other charges in recent years. |