( CNN ) -- North Korea is holding an American man who it claims arrived in the country this month to seek asylum , the nation 's state news agency reported Friday . KCNA identified the man as Miller Matthew Todd , who it says was taken into custody on April 10 . The man , according to KCNA , entered the country on a tourist visa . He tore his tourist visa and shouted that `` he would seek asylum '' and `` came to the DPRK ( North Korea ) after choosing it as a shelter , '' KCNA said . The report came on the day that U.S. President Barack Obama visited South Korea -- a trip that North Korea 's foreign ministry condemned as being `` aimed to escalate confrontation and bring dark clouds of a nuclear arms race . '' The United States is aware of the report and has been in touch with Sweden -- which represents American interests in North Korea -- about it , State Department press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday . Psaki said the United States has `` no greater priority '' than the welfare and safety of Americans , but had no further information to release about the situation . Photos : Americans detained abroad . CNN 's Shirley Henry contributed to this report .
North Korea says American man wanted asylum . Report comes as President Barack Obama visits South Korea . U.S. State Department says it is aware of North Korean report .