US soldier ‘arrested by North Korea’ after crossing the heavily fortified DMZ border checkpoint, UN says
A US SOLDIER has reportedly been arrested by North Korea after crossing the heavily fortified border.
He is said to have ventured into Kim Jong-un's dictatorship during an organised visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
Although information on the man's arrest is scarce, it is believed he is currently in custody in North Korea.
South Korean newspaper Dong-a Ilbo identified the man as an American soldier - named as Private Travis King.
The US Army has not yet confirmed if one of its personnel is missing.
Korea's United Nations command announced the news of his detention on Tuesday.
It said it is working tirelessly with the North's military to "resolve" the situation.
A Twitter post read: "A US National on a JSA orientation tour crossed, without authorization, the Military Demarcation Line into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
"We believe he is currently in DPRK custody and are working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident.";
Korean news outlet reported that the UN Command was conducting a general tour of the Joint Security Area, also known as Panmunjom.
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It is where the infamous "Bridge of No Return" is located and where numerous prisoner swaps have taken place.
Choi Gi-il, a professor of military studies at Sangji University told AFP: "Panmunjom is the most likely site this American chose to cross into North Korea because it's the only location one could attempt such a move out of the whole JSA tour."
This neutral zone acts as a meeting point for the two opposing nations and is where negotiations take place between the leaders.
But it hasn't stopped Kim Jong-un from trying to assert his authority, as he ordered his troops to fire shots towards a South Korean guard post in May 2020.
Local news claimed military sources have said the US soldier somehow slipped past armed guards at 3.27pm local time and infiltrated North Korea.
It added that the man did not return back to the South.
An eyewitness claimed they saw him let out "a loud 'ha ha ha' before he ran in between some buildings in the direction of the North Korean border."
'THINGS GOT CRAZY'
They told CBS News they initially thought it was a "bad joke" but realised the severity of the incident when the man did not return.
The bystander said: ";Then everybody reacted and things got crazy."
The tour group were reportedly then quickly ushered back to the Freedom House to provide statements and taken to their bus.
The witness added: "It actually hit me quite hard. It was on the way back in the bus, and we got to one of the checkpoints.... Someone said we were 43 going in and 42 coming back."
The two Koreas are divided by the world's most heavily armed border known as the Demilitarized Zone, which was established in 1953.
It is estimated two million mines are peppered inside and close to the 248-kilometre-long and four-kilometre-wide border barrier.
The DMZ is also flanked by barbed wire fences, tank traps and crowds of combat troops on both sides.
DANGEROUS LINE TO CROSS
The soldiers aren't scared to use their weapons either - and are known to blast those trying to defect across the border.
In July last year, chilling images captured two North Korean defectors being dragged back over the border by guards.
Those who have survived the consequences of trying to escape told how they were tortured and outcast, while living in fear they remain on Kim Jong Un's "target list."
North Korea hastily closed its borders at the start of the pandemic in 2020 and has still not reopened them.
Security measures on its side of the Joint Security Area became more lax as a result - but Kim Jong-un is not expected to take the soldier's antics lightly.
Retired US Army Lt. Col. Steve Tharp, who worked in the JSA area, said it is unclear how the tyrant will react as there is "so little data out there" about incidents such as this.
He told NK News: "This is the first contact since Covid... We don't know what they're thinking."
US SEND NUKE-ARMED SUB
Despite being a bleak no man's land, it is also a major attraction for tourists who manage to gain access to special but short tours.
They are led by expert guides who take groups to explore Imjingak Park, the DMZ Theatrr, the Third Infiltration Tunnel and other landmarks.
Donald Trump previously made history as the first US President to set foot in North Korea when he visited the border in 2019.
He told reporters that it was "a great honour" to be welcomed by the dictator and even hinted that he planned to return the favour.
It comes as the US deployed a nuclear-armed submarine to North Korea's doorstep for the first time in 40 years.
Seoul confirmed the 18,750-tonne USS Kentucky entered a key naval base in Busan - 320 kilometres southeast of the capital.
The 170-metre long USS Kentucky is one of the largest nuke-capable ballistic missile submarines in the world - and can carry more than 20 Trident-II ballistic missiles.
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Washington and South Korea have ramped up defence talks after Kim Jong-un fired his most powerful ballistic missile yet last week.
During Tuesday's meeting, the two nations agreed to share information, establish a secure comms network - and coordinate and plan for a possible North Korean nuclear attack.
