North Korea said yesterday that a Korean-American tourist, jailed there since late last year, will face trial for "committing crimes" against the North, a move that could stoke tensions further with the US.

A number of US citizens of Korean descent have been jailed in the North over the years, and Pyongyang has tried to use their detention to extract visits by high-profile Americans, most notably former US president Bill Clinton.

Kenneth Bae, 44, has been held since arriving in the north-east city of Rajin on November 3.

■NORTH KOREA