N. Korea: Detained American has 'admitted his crime'

[NewsCaster]

By ReutersSEOUL -- North Korea confirmed on Friday that it had detained an American tourist on charges of perpetrating a crime against the state and said it is putting him through criminal proceedings, indicating it is set to try him.

Kenneth Bae, a Korean American tourist who traveled to visit North Korea last month, was detained by police in the reclusive state, associates of his family and activists in Seoul said last week.

His custody comes amid tension between Pyongyang and Washington over a recent North Korean rocket launch, which U.S. officials consider a provocative test of ballistic missile technology.

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