North Korea's official media said Tuesday a South Korean man, who worked at a U.S. military base in the South, defected to North Korea in late December.

Television broadcasts from the North said 59-year-old Kim Ki-ho crossed the border, dividing the two Koreas, to seek asylum in the North due to conflicts with American superiors at his workplace.

The report said Kim held a news conference in a Pyongyang hotel on Tuesday to explain the motives for his defection. Kim is believed to have held a deep admiration toward North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

According to the U.S. military, Kim served at various American military units in South Korea from 1984 to August 2003. South Korean and U.S. authorities, however, have yet to officially confirm Kim's defection.