North Korea confirms US citizen is arrested
In North Korea dynastic rule has been accompanied by a distinctive leadership cultNorth Korea has confirmed that it has arrested a US citizen, and is preparing to charge him with "committing a crime" against the country.
Jun Young Su was arrested in November last year, the official KCNA news agency said.
The US state department announced the arrest on Tuesday and is calling for the detainee's release on humanitarian grounds.
The US has not named him, but said that Swedish diplomats had visited him.
The Swedish embassy in Pyongyang looks after American interests, as there are no diplomatic relations between North Korea and the US.
Later this month, former US President Jimmy Carter will fly to Pyongyang on a private visit to discuss issues including nuclear weapons, and would be likely to raise this case as well.
There is a long history of American citizens being held after trespassing in North Korea.
Since 2009, it has taken visits to Pyongyang by two former US presidents to secure the release of Americans in detention there.
This week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is due on a scheduled visit to South Korea.
Efforts to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula are continuing, after two military attacks last year.
No comments:
Post a Comment