An American soldier crossed the border from South to North Korea today (Tuesday). The soldier is believed to have been detained by authorities in North Korea.
According to eyewitnesses at the South Korean border, before the soldier fled to the North, he shouted "ha ha ha" and started running towards the North Korean side.
UN officials in the area said they had opened talks with the North Korean authorities for the release of the soldier who crossed the border without a permit.
Over the years there have been only isolated cases of crossing the border from the south to the north, when to date, over 30 thousand North Koreans have crossed the border since the end of the Korean War in the 1950s.
One of the most notable incidents happened in 2017, when a North Korean soldier crossed the border, was shot by North Korean guards, but managed to escape to the South in critical condition. The defected soldier survived and now lives in South Korea.