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American aid worker arrested by North Korean police in Pyongyang

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American aid worker arrested by North Korean police in Pyongyang

A US citizen has been arrested by cops in North Korea as he attempted to take a flight out of the country reports say.

His arrest was confirmed by the Swedish embassy in North Korea which revealed that the Korean-American citizen was arrested at the Pyongyang airport while attempting to take a flight out of the country and later detained.

Reacting to the development, BJ Kim, professor of international studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, told Al Jazeera that North Korea will most probably use the arrest of the American to its advantage.

Read also: North Korea threatens to launch ‘full-out war’, says US has gone mad

“The North Korean government regards the people who are trying to help North Koreans from the inside as a threat. This arrest could be an effort to increase their leverage in possible future negotiations,” he said.

Reports say at least two other Americans are currently detained in North Korea.

The arrest of the American citizen is coming hours after North Korea vowed to launch “full-out war” against America with nuclear weapons.

The threat by North Korea is coming amid reports of the imminent arrival of an American naval strike group off the Korean Peninsula.

 

 

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