A U.S. national has been detained by North Korea after crossing the border from South Korea, the United Nations said Tuesday.
“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),” the U.N. Command said in a tweet posted in both English and Korean.
“We believe he is currently in DPRK custody and are working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident,” the tweet said.
The unnamed person was on a tour of the Joint Security Area, part of the demilitarized zone between the two countries.
Tours of the JSA have been ongoing since the 1960s and are organized by private companies, while the U.N. has held its own tours for its staff.
The JSA is just 30 miles north of Seoul, the South Korean capital, and has huge historic importance as the place where the armistice agreement to end the Korean War was signed in 1953.
The news comes as the U.S.S. Kentucky, a nuclear-powered submarine, arrived at the Busan naval base in South Korea on Tuesday.
“This port visit to Busan reflects the United States’ ironclad commitment to the Republic of Korea for our extended deterrence guarantee,” U.S. Forces Korea said in a statement.
This is a developing story — check back here for updates soon.
