North Korea detains another US citizen amidst rising tension

North Korea said on Sunday it has detained another US citizen on suspicion of “hostile acts” against the state, which would make him the fourth American to be held by the isolated country amid heightened diplomatic tensions with Washington.

Kim Hak Song, who worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, was detained on Saturday, the North’s KCNA news agency said.

“A relevant institution of the DPRK detained American citizen Kim Hak Song on May 6 under a law of the DPRK on the suspension of his hostile acts against it,” KCNA said. DPRK is short for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name.

A third US citizen, Kim Sang Dok, who was associated with the same school, was detained in late April for hostile acts, according to the North’s official media.

The US State Department said it is aware of the latest reported detention.

“The security of US citizens is one of the department’s highest priorities. When a U.S. citizen is reported to be detained in North Korea, we work with the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang,” a State Department official said in an emailed statement, declining to provide further details for privacy reasons.

The reported detention comes as tensions on the …read more