The man, identified as Lawrence Bruce Byron, had been in custody after crossing into North Korea from China on October 16, said official news agency KCNA (GREG BAKER)

Seoul (AFP) – North Korea has decided to expel a US citizen who illegally entered the country last month, Pyongyang’s official KCNA news agency said Friday.

The man, identified as Lawrence Bruce Byron, had been in custody after crossing into North Korea from China on October 16, it said.

“While being questioned, he said he had illegally entered the country under the command of the US Central Intelligence Agency”, KCNA said.

“Relevant authorities have decided to expel him from the country”, it added.

A man with the same name was arrested in South Korea while trying to sneak over the inter-Korean border in November last year.

Byron, who is in his late 50s and from Louisiana, was later deported back to the US.

Media reports said he told South Korean officials he sought to facilitate talks between North Korea and the United States, although he is a private citizen.

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