Family of U.S. man detained in North Korea appeals for his release

Jeffrey Newman comes out of his home to make a brief comment about his father, Merrill Newman, an 85-year-old Korean War veteran being detained by North Korean authorities, in Pasadena, California November 22, 2013. REUTERS/Jonathan Alcorn

PALO ALTO, California (Reuters) - The family of an 85-year-old California retiree and Korean War veteran detained by North Korean authorities during a trip to the reclusive Asian nation publicly appealed to Pyongyang on Friday for his safe return home.

The man's wife, Alicia Newman, said in a statement that relatives of her husband, Merrill Newman, have had no word on the state of his health, whether or not medications sent to him were delivered or why he was detained.