North Korea to deport American it detained for illegal entry
SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — North Korea said Friday that it will deport an American citizen it detained one month ago for illegally entering the country.
The announcement suggests that North Korea still wants to maintain the mood for dialogue with the United States despite stalled nuclear diplomacy. In the past, North Korean often held American citizens it arrested for similar charges for an extended period before high-profile U.S. figures travelled to Pyongyang to secure their freedom.
On Friday, the Korean Central News Agency said the U.S. citizen was detained on Oct. 16 for illegally entering the country from China. It said the U.S. citizen told investigators that he was under the direction of the Central Intelligence Agency.
It said North Korea decided to deport him but did not say why and when. North Korea didn’t immediately release the English spelling of the man’s name.