Watch: View of North Korea border after now-detained US soldier entered country ‘willfully and without authorisation’

Watch a view of border towns in North Korea on Wednesday (19 July), seen from Paju in South Korea, after a US soldier crossed the inter-Korean border during a tour without approval.

The soldier, who is facing disciplinary action, has been identified by the US Army as Private Travis T King, who joined in 2021.

US officials said Mr King was facing disciplinary action after he had been held in South Korea on assault charges.

He was on an orientation tour of Joint Security Area between the Koreas and "wilfully and without authorization crossed the Military Demarcation Line into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)," defence secretary Lloyd Austin said.

Mr King is now believed to be in North Korean custody.

"There's a lot that we're still trying to learn," Mr Austin said.

"We believe that he is in custody and so we're closely monitoring and investigating the situation and working to notify the soldier's next of kin."