North Korea announced Sunday that it detained another American over the weekend, raising to four the number of U.S. citizens being held by the communist nation's authoritarian regime.
Kim Hak-song had worked at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, the same school where American Tony Kim had worked prior to being arrested at Pyongyang International Airport two weeks ago, North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency said.
Few details on Kim Hak-song or his arrest were immediately available. KCNA said he was detained Saturday on suspicion of committing “hostile acts" and that a "detailed investigation into his crimes" was underway.
The U.S. State Department issued a statement saying it was aware of the detention reports. The department works with the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang, which serves as the United States’ Protecting Power in North Korea in dealing with such matters, the statement said. The U.S. has no direct diplomatic ties with Pyongyang.
"The security of U.S. citizens is one of the Department’s highest priorities," the statement said.
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North Korea confirmed Wednesday that it had detained Tony Kim, 55, who was seized April 22 as he tried to leave the country. Tony Kim, who taught accounting and other courses, is accused of attempting to overthrow the government.
"He was intercepted for committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn the DPRK not only in the past but also during his last stay before interception," KCNA said in confirming reports of Tony Kim's arrest. DPRK is the acronym for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Pyongyang University of Science and Technology is the only privately funded university in North Korea. It opened in 2010 and features several foreign teachers, unusual for North Korea. The school, which gets much of its funding from Western and South Korean charitable organizations, claims 500 undergraduate and 60 graduate students.
Other Americans being held in North Korea include Ohio native Otto Warmbier, 22, a University of Virginia student who was arrested in January 2016 while he was on a tour of North Korea, and Kim Dong Chul, 62, who was arrested in October 2015 while in North Korea on business.