. 1 U.S. Private Travis T. King is seen wearing a black shirt and black cap on the corner left side Credit: reuters The Private 2nd Class soldier was on an orientation tour of the Joint Security Area (JSA) on the border between the two Koreas when he unexpectedly sprinted across the heavily fortified frontier as others looked in shock, according to the Associated Press . US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed the 23-year-old soldier, who joined the US Army in 2021, "wilfully and without authorization" crossed into North Korea . "We believe that he is in (North Korean) custody and so we're closely monitoring and investigating the situation and working to notify the soldier's next of kin," Austin added. More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at Sun Online. The-sun.com is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheSunUS and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheUSSun .){kind=link}
US Army soldier Travis King has been pictured alongside a group of tourists moments before bolting into North Korea.
King, 23, was detained by North Korean forces after making an unauthorized venture into Kim Jong-un’s dictatorship during an orientation tour to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
The Private 2nd Class solider was with a group of tourists visiting the Joint Security Area, also known as Panmunjom, on the border between the two Koreas when he unexpectedly sprinted across the heavily fortified frontier, according to the Associated Press.
A woman who was on the tour said she initially thought King’s dash was a stunt and that she and others in the group were shocked about what followed.
The Panmunjom is infamously known as the “Bridge of No Return,” where numerous prisoner swaps are made.