The United Nations Command in the Korean Peninsula pointed out today, Tuesday, that "it is likely that an American citizen is being held by North Korea after crossing the border between the two Koreas without authorization during a tour." The command posted on its official Twitter account, "An American soldier crossed the Military Demarcation Line without authorization to enter the Democratic People's Republic of Korea during an orientation tour in the Joint Security Area." It added, "We believe he is currently in the custody of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and we are working with our counterparts in the Korean People's Army to address this incident."
The American was participating in a tour of the Joint Security Area, which is the border village in the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea, guarded by soldiers from both countries. The Dong-a Ilbo newspaper, citing the South Korean army, identified the individual as a second-class soldier in the U.S. military named "Travis King."
