North Korea said on Sunday it had expelled a Japanese tourist detained during a trip to the country.

The state-run KCNA news said North Korea had expelled Tomoyuki Sugimoto on humanitarian grounds after detaining him on suspicion of breaking the country's laws.

It did not say specifically what Sugimoto was suspected of having done.

In early August Japanese media reported that a Japanese man had been detained in North Korea, and government officials were trying to gather information on his safety.

Japan, in addition to demanding that North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons and missile programs, has also sought the return of abductees kidnapped during the 1970s and 1980s.

It has said it will not provide any economic aid to Pyongyang until that issue is resolved and normal diplomatic relations have been established.

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