Pyongyang University of Science Technology confirmed to NBC News that Kim Sang-duk, who also goes by Tony, was detained by North Korean authorities on Saturday at Pyongyang Airport as he was preparing to leave the country.
Kim taught accounting, The Associated Press reported, and he'd been in the country for several weeks, the university said in a statement.
Kim taught accounting, The Associated Press reported, and he'd been in the country for several weeks, the university said in a statement.
"We understand that this detention is related to an investigation into matters that are not connected in any way with the work of" the school, the statement said.The school did not provide additional details. The Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang said it was aware of a Korean-American citizen being detained recently.
"It is this embassy's understanding that the information that a U.S. citizen has been detained in the DPRK is correct," Martina Aberg, deputy head of mission for the Swedish Embassy in North Korea, said in an email to NBC News.
"We do not comment on individual consular cases that we are working on," Aberg added.
The embassy looks after consular affairs for the United States in North Korea because there is no official diplomatic relationship between the two countries.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported the man was detained on Friday, bringing the total number of Americans held by the isolated country to three.
An official at South Korea's National Intelligence Service said it was not aware of the reported arrest.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported the man was detained on Friday, bringing the total number of Americans held by the isolated country to three.
An official at South Korea's National Intelligence Service said it was not aware of the reported arrest.
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