North Korean Authorities Arrest US National Engaged in Humanitarian Assistance

North Korean authorities arrested a US citizen engaged in humanitarian aid supplies to Pyongyang, local media reported Sunday, citing an anonymous source.

TOKYO (Sputnik) — The former US-Korean professor was arrested at Pyongyang International Airport on Friday, where he stayed for nearly a month to work on humanitarian activities, the Yonhap news agency reported.

The reasons for his arrest remain unclear, the news agency said.

Since 2009, more than 10 US nationals have been detained in North Korea on charges of subversive acts against the state and other related charges, according to the news agency.

In March 2016, US student Otto Frederick Warmbier was jailed for 15 years for trying to steal a political banner, an action that was classified by Pyongyang as a "hostile act" against the government.