'US citizen held' in North Korea

An American citizen has been detained in North Korea, officials in the secretive state have said.

This is the third case of an American being kept in the country.

The Swedish Embassy in the capital Pyongyang looks after US consular affairs in North Korea and told the Associated Press news agency that it was aware of a Korean-American citizen being detained.

America and North Korea do not have diplomatic relations.

South Korea's Unification Ministry and its intelligence agency both said they were unable to confirm the report, though Yonhap, a news agency in the south, cited unnamed sources that a man in his 50s was held back by officers at Pyongyang international airport.

Two other Americans detained in North Korea have been sentenced to hard labour.

Kim Dong Chul is serving 10 years for alleged spying.

Otto Warmbier admitted last year to attempting to steal a hotel poster and sentenced to 15 years.