The family of an American national being held in North Korea has appealed for his release saying there must have been a dreadful misunderstanding and that he may need medication.
Merrill Newman, 85 is a Korean war veteran who was on a guided tour of the communist state.
The US State Department says North Korea has acknowledged that a American citizen is being held.
The BBC reports another US citizen, Kenneth Bae, has been detained since November 2012.
