Image: YURIKO NAKAO (X90018)
The US soldier crossed the demarcation line “on purpose and without permission” during a visit to the demilitarized zone between the two countries, a spokesman for the US armed forces said on Tuesday. He is currently believed to be in North Korean custody.
The US Army is working with North Korean forces “to resolve this incident,” the spokesman said. The US broadcaster CBS reported that the soldier was temporarily in military custody in South Korea and should have been taken out of the country for disciplinary reasons. However, after passing through airport security, he managed to turn back and join a group of visitors to the demilitarized zone.
The UN command in the area had previously said a US citizen had crossed the border and was believed to be in North Korean custody. South Korea and North Korea are still formally at war today because no peace treaty was signed after the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. A Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) has separated the two Korean states since the end of the war. The areas bordering the border strip are strictly guarded. The South Korean side is also a popular tourist destination.
Source: Nachrichten
