TOKYO — Japanese government officials said Monday that they were trying to ensure the safety of a Japanese tourist whom North Korea said it had expelled after detaining him on unspecified charges.
The official Korean Central News Agency said late Sunday that Japanese tourist Tomoyuki Sugimoto had been “kept under control” for questioning about “his crime,” without specifying what he had been accused of. His release by North Korea has not been confirmed.
In a two-sentence report, the news agency said the authorities decided to “to leniently condone him” and expel him on the principle of humanitarianism.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters that Japan’s govern-
ment was doing its “utmost,” but refused to give further details, citing the sensitivity of the issue.
Japan’s government confirmed about two weeks ago that it was looking into reports that one of its citizens was being held in North Korea, but has not identified the person by name.
Japan’s Kyodo News agency, citing a government source, said the person was believed to be a videographer in his 30s and may have been suspected of shooting video of a military facility while on a group tour to Nampo, a port city in western North Korea.
The government had sought his release through the North Korean Embassy in Beijing, Kyodo said. Japan does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea.