The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday confirmed that it detained a US citizen last month for allegedly carrying out a "hostile action," according to state media KCNA.
The American national, identified as Kim Sang Dok, was arrested at Pyongyang airport for committing "hostile criminal acts with an aim to subvert the country".
KCNA said that an investigation into the crime is underway.
Kim was firstly reported to have been detained on April 22.
The man, in his fifties, was formerly a professor at Yanbian University of Science and Technology in northeast China's Jilin Province. He had been in the DPRK for a month for aid and relief activities.
At least two other US citizens are currently serving hard labor sentences in the country.
Otto Warmbier was taken to the DPRK's top court in Pyongyang on March 16, 2016. /VCG Photo
Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old student, was detained in January last year and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor by a DPRK court for attempting to steal a propaganda banner.
Kim Dong Chul entered a courtroom in Pyongyang on April 29, 2016. /VCG Photo
In March 2016, Korean-American Kim Dong Chul, 62, was sentenced to 10 years hard labor for subversion.
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