A Japanese individual has been arrested in North Korea, the Tokyo-based Asahi Shimbun reported on Saturday, suggesting the person may have been accused of spying.

News of the arrest comes amid growing complaints about Japan from North Korean state media in recent weeks, despite recent efforts by Tokyo to secure direct talks with Pyongyang.

“The unnamed individual was detained earlier this month and is middle-aged,” the Asahi Shimbun quoted government sources as saying.

TBS Japan later described the individual as being a 39-year old male “video creator” who had been arrested in the port city of Nampo on August 10