American held in North Korea tells family his health is failing

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Letters sent home by Kenneth Bae, a U.S. citizen imprisoned in North Korea for alleged crimes against the state, show a "new note of desperation," his sister said, as the United States seeks to prevent the Christian missionary from becoming a high-profile diplomatic bargaining chip.

Bae was sentenced in early May to 15 years of hard labour after North Korean authorities convicted him of what it said was an attempt at state subversion. Authorities there said the 44-year-old used his tourism business to form groups to overthrow the government.