A US tourist crossed the border into North Korea, UN says. South Korean media reports he's a US soldier.
Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP, File
- A US national crossed the border from South Korea into North Korea on Tuesday, the UN said.
- South Korean media is reporting that he was a US soldier. It is unclear if this was a defection.
- The man is currently believed to be held in North Korean custody, the UN said.
A US tourist crossed the heavily fortified border from South Korea to North Korea on Tuesday, according to the United Nations.
The United Nations Command, which runs the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and Joint Security Area (JSA), said in a statement that the American was on a JSA orientation tour when he crossed the border without authorization.
"We believe he is currently in DPRK custody and are working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident," the UN said.
—United Nations Command 유엔군사령부/유엔사 (@UN_Command) July 18, 2023
The DMZ is a buffer zone between North and South Korea, which is filled with landmines, surrounded by barbed wire and electric fencing, and is heavily guarded.
South Korean media has described it as a defection, though it is currently unclear if this is the case.
According to The Korea Herald, an English-language newspaper based in Seoul, the man was a US soldier, although the newspaper was unable to confirm if he was stationed in South Korea or visiting the country as a tourist.
South Korea's Dong-a Ilbo newspaper identified him as Travis King, a US Army soldier with the rank of private second class, citing South Korean army sources, but Insider was unable to verify this information.
Insider contacted the US Department of State for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Cases of Americans or South Koreans defecting to North Korea are extremely rare, while North Koreans crossing into South Korea are more common.
More than 30,000 North Koreans have fled south since the 1950-1953 Korean War, according to the Associated Press.