Arrest after joke: US soldier runs laughing across guarded North Korean border

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North Korea arrested a US soldier. The man had crossed the heavily secured border from South to North Korea during a sightseeing tour. A spokesman for the US armed forces said on Tuesday that he “deliberately and without authorization” crossed the demarcation line while visiting the demilitarized zone between the two countries. He is currently believed to be in North Korean custody.

The US military is working with North Korean forces “to resolve this incident,” the spokesman said. American broadcaster CBS reported that the soldier was temporarily in military custody in South Korea and had been forced to leave the country for disciplinary reasons. However, after clearing security checks at the airport, he managed to turn around and join a group of visitors to the Demilitarized Zone.

“I thought it was a bad joke at first”

A witness who was also present at the tour told CBS that the American soldier enjoyed crossing the border. He shouted “Hahaha” and ran back and forth between the buildings. “I thought it was a bad joke at first, but when he didn’t come back I realized it wasn’t a joke,” the witness continued.

South Korea and North Korea are still formally at war 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 adjacent to the border strip are closely guarded. The South Korean side is also a popular tourist destination.

Military tensions on the Korean Peninsula have increased dramatically recently. The Communist leadership in Pyongyang has repeatedly threatened military escalation in the region. In the face of North Korea’s continued provocations, South Korea and the United States have stepped up their defense cooperation. (AFP/jmh)

Source: Blick