REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SEOUL - North Korea sentenced US citizen Matthew Todd Miller to six years hard labor for committing "hostile acts" as a tourist to the country, a statement carried by state media said on Sunday.

Matthew Miller joins Kenneth Bae to become the second American currently serving a hard labor sentence in North Korea. A third, Jeffrey Fowle, is currently awaiting trial.

"He committed acts hostile to the DPRK while entering the territory of the DPRK under the guise of a tourist last April," the short statement said, without elaborating. The Korean version of the statement described Miller's punishment as a "labor reeducation" sentence.

Miller, from Bakersfield, California and in his mid-20s, entered North Korea in April this year whereupon he tore up his tourist visa and demanded Pyongyang grant him asylum.

North Korea has not elaborated on Miller's charges, but photos of the trial released by state media showed some of Miller's personal possessions, including his passport, phone, notebook and North Korean visa - which appeared to be ripped. Miller was also shown sitting in a witness box, flanked by North Korean soldiers.

North Korea has yet to announce a trial date for a third US citizen Jeffrey Fowle, 56, from Miamisburg, Ohio, who was arrested in May this year for leaving a bible under a bin in the toilet of a sailor's club in the eastern port city of Chongjin.

A source familiar with the case told Reuters it was unclear why Fowle left the bible behind, but said the 56-year old did not seem to be overtly religious.

US missionary Kenneth Bae has been held by the country since December 2012 and is currently serving a sentence of 15 years hard labor for crimes North Korea said amounted to a plot to overthrow the state.

Earlier this month, international media was granted rare access to the three detained Americans, who in separate interviews all called on the United States to secure their early release.

North Korea, which is under heavy United Nations sanctions related to its nuclear and missile programs, is believed to be using the detained US citizens to extract a high-profile visit from Washington, with whom it has no formal diplomatic relations.

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