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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Helen Sullivan and agencies

Explainer: What is the Joint Security Area between North and South Korea?

A South Korean soldier (R) and UNC (United Nations Command) soldier (background, in green) stand guard near the military demarcation line separating North and South Korea at the DMZ
A South Korean soldier (R) and UNC (United Nations Command) soldier (background, in green) stand guard near the military demarcation line separating North and South Korea at the DMZ. Photograph: Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images

A US soldier was detained by North Korea on Tuesday after he crossed into the country “wilfully and without authorisation”, according to a US official.

The soldier, Private 2nd Class Travis King, crossed the military demarcation line that separates the two countries while on a tour of the Joint Security Area (JSA) between North and South Korea. He is the first American detained in North Korea in five years.

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