U.S. officials have confirmed that an American soldier has been detained in North Korea, via Fox News.
The unnamed soldier was wearing plain clothes and, “willfully and without authorization crossed the Military Demarcation Line into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK),” a U.S. Forces Korea spokesperson said Tuesday.
The State Department does not advise Americans to travel to North Korea due to the risk of detainment and notes, “The U.S. government is unable to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in North Korea as it does not have diplomatic or consular relations with North Korea.”
The United Nations Command posted to Twitter, stating, “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.”
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
Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade stated during Tuesday’s show, “We are unable to confirm the soldier’s identity at this time.”
Keir Simmons, NBC’s chief international correspondent, appeared on Today to discuss the situation as the news broke.
He said, “I’ve been to that area, both in North Korea and in South Korea. It is highly militarized. To cross that border without people noticing is incredibly difficult.”
Simmons also referenced the case of Otto Warmbier, an American student who was captured by North Korea and released after a year in a “vegetative state” and “died soon afterwards.”
He went on to note the massive military presence along the demarcation line and added, “One of the questions right now is, of course, how is this possible?”