American Soldier Detained in North Korea After Unauthorized Border Crossing, Raising Tensions Between US and North Korea

On Tuesday, an American soldier, Private 2nd Class Travis King, crossed the heavily fortified inter-Korean border into North Korea. The 23-year-old Army private is the first known American detained in the North in nearly five years.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that King had “willfully and without authorization” crossed the border. North Korea has yet to comment on the incident, and it is unclear what will happen to King.

The incident occurred a day after North Korea test-fired two ballistic missiles into the sea in an apparent protest at the deployment of a U.S. nuclear-armed submarine in South Korea. South Korea and Japan reported that North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles eastward from its west coast early Wednesday local time.

The incident has raised tensions between the two countries, which are still technically at war. It is unclear when or if King will be repatriated, as North Korea is unlikely to do so anytime soon. The U.S. government is monitoring the situation closely.