A Kiwi tourist visiting the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea has described chaotic scenes as a US soldier made a mad dash to flee across the border.
Private 2nd Class Travis King ran from South to North earlier today after US Army officials tried to send him home to face disciplinary action.
He had just been released from a South Korean prison, being held on assault charges.
King managed to escape the airport, joining a group touring the Korean village of Panmunjom, where he ran across the border.
The soldier, in a rare case of someone escaping to the North, was set to face disciplinary action after being charged with assault. (Source: 1News)
One tour group member, Lower Hutt woman Sarah Leslie, described the chaotic scenes.
She told 1News that it all kicked off while the group was milling around and being watched by the soldiers.
“Suddenly, I noticed a guy running, dressed in black, what looked like full gas towards the North Korean side."
As the man was wearing civilian clothes, she had no clue he was a soldier - thinking King was doing it for a TikTok video.
“My first thought was what an absolute idiot,” Leslie said.
“He just kept going and didn’t stop.”
Eventually, soldiers realised what was happening and chased after him. US officials later said they believed the man had been taken into North Korean custody.
The group was quickly shuffled into a building at the border.
“Everyone was kind of flipping their lid, and once we got in the building, it was kind of like ‘oh my God’,” Leslie said.
At a Pentagon press conference, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin did not name King, but confirmed that a US service member was likely now in North Korean custody.
"We're closely monitoring and investigating the situation and working to notify the soldier's next of kin," Austin said, concerned about the troop's well-being.
"This will develop in the next several days and hours, and we'll keep you posted."
Cases of Americans or South Koreans defecting to North Korea are rare, though more than 30,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea to avoid political oppression and economic difficulties since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
- Additional reporting by Associated Press
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