According to the state news agency KCNA, Travis King, as the soldier is called, is said to have crossed the border because he was dissatisfied with the way he was treated in the US army. He is also alleged to have expressed a desire to seek refuge in North Korea or in a third country.
Shortly before that, King is said to have been released after being detained in South Korea, accused of assault. He is said to have been escorted to an airport to be brought back to the United States.
But somehow he left the airport and joined a guided tour taking place in the South Korean border village of Panmunjom. There, he allegedly ran across the border into North Korea.
King’s current whereabouts are unknown.