U.S. trying to verify report on another American detained in DPRK

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Obama administration has been verifying the report that an American was detained by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for illegally entering the country across the border with China, said the State Department on Thursday.

"It's obviously something we take seriously. At this point, we haven't got any specific information to confirm that, but it is entirely possible," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters at the daily press briefing.

The official Korean Central News Agency said Thursday that an American was detained on Monday for illegally entering the country across the DPRK-China border, the second in almost a month that a U.S. citizen was detained for illegal entry.

According to Crowley, the administration has asked Sweden, which represents U.S. interest in Pyongyang in the absence of diplomatic relations, to inquire of the DPRK government for more information on the report.

"Should we be able to verify that a second American citizen is being detained in North Korea, we would seek consular access urgently and immediately, so that we can determine who it is and verify his condition," said the spokesman.

On Dec. 25, 2009, months after Pyongyang freed two U.S. journalists who had been arrested in March and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor, the 28-year-old human rights activist Robert Park was detained in the country.

"On Mr. Park, we continue to seek consular access to him through our protecting power in Pyongyang," said Crowley.