A college student detained in North Korea for illegal entry has been confirmed to be South Korean, a foreign ministry official said Sunday.

On Saturday, the North's Korean Central News Agency reported that a 21-year-old South Korean student of New York University was caught while crossing the Amrok River from Dandung, a Chinese border city, on April 22.

It identified him as Joo Won-moon, a resident of New Jersey with a U.S. green card.

"We are determining the details through our local diplomatic mission, but we have found out the nationality, address and personal information of the man in his 20s," the official said on condition of anonymity.

The government has been in contact with Joo's family and NYU, but it cannot disclose the details, the official added.

Once the government determines the exact circumstances surrounding Joo's visit to the North, it will draw up specific measures to handle the situation, said an official at the Ministry of Unification, which handles inter-Korean affairs.

North Korea is currently detaining four South Koreans, including Kim Jung-wook, a missionary who has been sentenced to hard labor for life on charges of spying and setting up underground churches. (Yonhap)