"Deliberately Crossing the Border Without Permission" US Defense Secretary Officially Confirms US Soldier's Defection to North Korea

The U.S. Secretary of Defense has officially confirmed that a U.S. soldier who defected to North Korea while touring the Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjom deliberately crossed the border without permission.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Secretary Lloyd Austin stated at a press conference held after a virtual Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting on the 18th (local time) that, in response to related questions, "One of our soldiers deliberately crossed the Military Demarcation Line without authorization while touring the Joint Security Area."

Secretary Austin explained, "We believe North Korea has taken custody of him, and we are closely monitoring and investigating the situation while notifying the soldier’s closest relatives and working to resolve the incident."

When asked if he was concerned about the security implications of the defection, he said, "I am fully concerned about the well-being of our soldier," adding, "We will focus on this incident and update you on developments over the coming days."

Earlier, during a security tour at the JSA in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, one American crossed the Military Demarcation Line without authorization and defected to North Korea, and news quickly spread that the individual was a member of the U.S. Forces Korea. Local U.S. media outlets including The Washington Post and CBS News reported, citing multiple officials, that the defector was a U.S. Army Private who had been disciplined for illegal activities in South Korea and was scheduled to be repatriated to the United States.

The soldier had been punished for illegal activities while serving in South Korea and was recently scheduled to be sent back to the U.S. However, after the U.S. military took him to the airport, he did not board the scheduled flight. Details about why he did not board the flight to the U.S. or how he participated in the JSA tour program have not been disclosed. A witness who was part of the same JSA tour group told CBS News, "It was when we were touring a building at Panmunjom," and recalled, "This man suddenly laughed loudly, ‘hahaha,’ and then ran between the buildings."

Local media are also noting that this defection incident occurred on the same day the U.S.-South Korea Nuclear Consultative Group, which aims to maximize extended deterrence against North Korea’s nuclear threats, was launched. The United Nations Command stated, "We understand that North Korea has taken custody of this individual and are cooperating with the North Korean military to resolve the incident."

Immediately after the incident, the United Nations Command canceled the Panmunjom tour program under its jurisdiction. The UN Command usually operates the JSA tour program four times a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday), once a day, with groups of 40 people including Koreans and Americans.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.