An American citizen who illegally recently entered North Korea reportedly told the North authorities that he came to the communist country because he "hates capitalism" and expressed desire to serve in the North Korean military, a South Korean major daily said on Saturday.
Citing an unnamed North Korean source, the Donga Ilbo said the American citizen, whose identity has yet to be known, said he said he did not "want to become a cannon fodder in the capitalist military," and "wants to serve in the North Korean military."
On Thursday, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said an American citizen was detained, without offering details of the person's identity.
Donga Ilbo said the American is 28 years old and entered the North on Monday via China's border town of Tumen.
It was the second case for a detained American in North Korea in the space of last 30 days.
In late December North Korea said it was holding a U.S. citizen for illegally crossing the North Korea-China border. It did not identify the man, but the U.S. State Department said he is Robert Park, a Korean-American missionary.
Meanwhile, Yonhap News Agency said on Saturday that North Korea officially notified the U.S. of the detainment of a second American citizen through North Korea's New York representative office.