An American citizen has been detain in North korea

North Korea Says It HasDetained an American Citizen By CHOE SANG-HUN Published: December 22, 2012 SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea said on Friday that it had charged an American citizen detained there with committing "hostile acts against the republic," a crimepunishable by years in prison, at a time when the United States is pushing for new sanctions against the reclusive country for a recent rocket launching.The North's state-run Korean Central News Agencysaid that the American, identified as Bae Jun-ho, had entered the country on Nov. 3 through a port city near the Russian border. Human rights activists in South Korea said they believed Mr. Bae to be Kenneth Bae, 44, who they reported earlier this month was being held in the North.In recent years, North Koreahas detained several Americans, in some cases agreeing to free them only after high-profile Americans visited the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, to seek their release. Analysts have suspected North Korea's leaders of trying to use suchdetentions to counter Washington's diplomatic pressure over its nuclear and missile programs and force the United States to engage with them.