U.S. soldier crossed into North Korea 'willfully and without authorization,' Austin says

A U.S. service member crossed the border from South Korea to North Korea “willfully and without authorization” Tuesday and is believed to be in North Korean custody, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed during a press conference Tuesday.

The soldier was on a civilian tour of the Demilitarized Zone, according to Col. Isaac Taylor of United States Forces Korea Public Affairs, and not on duty at the time. The soldier “willfully and without authorization” separated from the group and crossed the demarcation line, he said.

“We believe he is currently in DPRK custody and are working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident,” Taylor said.

Two U.S. officials told the Associated Press the soldier detained was Pvt. Travis King, who had just been released from a South Korean prison where he’d been held on assault charges and was facing additional military disciplinary actions in the United States.

King, who’s in his early 20s, was escorted to the airport to be returned to Fort Bliss, Texas, but instead of getting on the plane he left and joined a tour of the Korean border village of Panmunjom, where he ran across the border.

Army spokesperson Bryce Dubee said King is a cavalry scout who is administratively attached to 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. He joined the Army in January 2021 and has made no deployments.

The soldier was observed running toward North Korea and being taken in to custody, said a person familiar with the incident who was granted anonymity to speak openly.

The U.S. has already spoken with South Korea about the incident and plans to coordinate with Sweden, the U.S.'s interlocutors with North Korea, the same person said.

Details about King, including his hometown and what additional charges he faced, were not immediately available. It was also unclear how he managed to leave the airport while he was being escorted.

“This creates a significant diplomatic problem between North Korea and the U.S., and as has been noted, we are not in communication,” Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the House Armed Services Committee's ranking member, told CNN based on early reports. “The first step is going to be reestablishing those communications, but if a U.S. soldier is in North Korean custody, we need to do what we can to get him back.”

The U.S. soldier’s crossing and detention comes amid escalating tension between the U.S. and North Korea over North Korea’s continued missile launches in the direction of neighboring South Korea and Japan. The incident occurred the same day that the USS Kentucky, a submarine armed with nuclear ballistic missiles, arrived in Busan, South Korea, for a scheduled port visit.

American officials say the deployment of the submarine is part of its “extended deterrence” policy.

“This port visit to Busan reflects the United States’ ironclad commitment to the Republic of Korea for our extended deterrence guarantee, and complements the many exercises, training, operations, and the other military cooperation activities conducted by Strategic Forces to ensure they are available and ready to operate around the globe at any time,” U.S. Forces Korea said in a news release Tuesday.

North Korean officials warned the U.S. on Monday against “foolish” actions. Workers Party official Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said through state media that North Korea had launched a “military offensive” in response to U.S. aggression.

Joe Gould and the Associated Press contributed to this report.