"When a USA citizen is reported to be detained in North Korea, we work with the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang" to try to secure their freedom.
"The money that North Korea makes from illicit activities is 40 percent of their real economy", said Bruce Bechtol, professor of political science at Angelo State University and the author of four books on North Korea.
It did not comment on the reason for Kim's arrest but said it was "not connected in any way with the work of PUST".
A U.S. State Department official said Sunday that such non-governmental "track 2" talks "are routinely held on a variety of topics around the world and occur independent of U.S. government involvement".
Two weeks ago the North arrested Tony Kim, a United States citizen and accounting professor who was lecturing at PUST, accusing him of trying to "overturn" the regime.
Washington has also asked the global community to step up pressure on Pyongyang, and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged countries during a UN Security Council foreign ministerial meeting last month to suspend or downgrade diplomatic relations with North Korea if the regime continues its provocations.
North Korean media says the government is holding another United States citizen. Criminal proceeds prop up North Korea's communist government, support the lavish lifestyle of party leaders, and help support the military, he said.
Head of French Catholic bishops welcomes Macron's election
It said the leaked data had been "fraudulently" obtained and that fake news has probably been mingled in with it. The result wasn't close - Macron had 64 per cent support with about 90 per cent of votes counted.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged the United Nations Wednesday to consider new sanctions against North Korea if Kim Jun Un continued to move forward with his plans to build a nuclear missile capable of striking the US, according to Reuters.
On April 21, former US-Korean professor Kim Sang-duk was arrested by at the Pyongyang International Airport after spending almost a month in North Korea working on humanitarian activities.
Warmbier, a University of Virginia student from suburban Cincinnati, made a tearful public confession to stealing a propaganda banner while visiting North Korea with a tour group previous year.
A senior North Korean diplomat was scheduled to hold talks with former USA officials in Europe this week, the first such dialogue since the start of the Donald Trump administration.
The arrest of two Americans in such a short time comes as Pyongyang exchanges hostile rhetoric with the U.S. over its banned missile and nuclear weapons programmes.
Two other Americans detained in North Korea are Otto Warmbier, serving a 15-year prison term with hard labor for alleged anti-state acts, and Kim Dong Chul, serving a 10-year term with hard labor for alleged espionage.
"The Department of State strongly recommends against all travel by US citizens to North Korea", the official added.
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