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The US.. military is scrambling to make sense of an American soldier who took a tour of the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, then bolted across the border into North Korea.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says military leaders are monitoring the situation closely.

Pvt. Travis T. King joined the Army in 2021 and was facing disciplinary action for allegedly fighting in South Korean. He was about to return home, but first took a tour of the Joint Security Area between the Koreas.

One witness who was also on the tour said King sprinted across the border into North Korea while South Korean and American guards shouted “get him” as they tried to stop King. But by that point he had already crossed the border.

Pyongyang has not released any statement concerning the matter.

Back in the States, King’s mother told ABC News that she was shocked, saying, “I can’t see Travis doing anything like that.”