North Korea’s village of Gijungdong seen from a South Korea’s observation post inside the demilitarized zone.
Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images
A U.S. national may be in North Korean custody after crossing the inter-Korean border without authorization, the U.N. Command said on Twitter Tuesday.
The person was touring the Joint Security Area — a site at Panmunjeom in the Demilitarized Zone used by North and South Korea for diplomatic engagements and negotiations. It is bisected by the Military Demarcation Line, also known as the Armistice Line, which demarcates the border between the two territories.
“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,” the UN Command said.
The U.S. and North Korea do not currently have formal diplomatic relations.
