American ‘in North Korean custody for unauthorised border crossing from South’
A general view shows the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, South Korea on July 19, 2022. Picture: Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP, File
An American national is in North Korean custody after crossing the heavily fortified border from South Korea, the UN Command has said.
The US citizen was on a tour to the Korean border village of Panmunjom when he crossed into the North without authorisation, the American-led command overseeing the area said on Tuesday.
The group said it is working with its North Korean counterparts to resolve the incident.
It did not say who the man is or why he crossed the border.
A U.S. 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. pic.twitter.com/a6amvnJTuY
— United Nations Command 유엔군사령부/유엔사 (@UN_Command) July 18, 2023
Cases of Americans or South Koreans defecting to the North are rare, though more than 30,000 North Koreans have fled to the South to avoid political oppression and economic difficulties since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
Panmunjom, which is inside the 154-mile-long Demilitarised Zone, was created at the end of the Korean War.
Bloodshed and gunfire have occasionally occurred there but it has also been a venue for numerous talks and a popular tourist spot.
The area is jointly overseen by the UN Command and North Korea.
In November 2017, North Korean soldiers fired 40 rounds as one of their colleagues ran towards freedom.
The soldier was hit five times before being found under a pile of leaves on the southern side of Panmunjom.
He survived and is now in South Korea.
No civilians live in Panmunjom.
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