A Soldier’s Dash Across the Border

A New Zealand tourist, Sarah Leslie, was startled to witness a US soldier, identified as Pvt. Travis King sprints across the border into North Korea while on a visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). King, previously serving a sentence in a South Korean prison for assault, was part of the tourist group dressed in civilian clothing, causing confusion and disbelief among the other members.
  

Key Points: 

1. Pvt. Travis King was amongst a group of tourists visiting the DMZ. Unbeknownst to them, King was a US soldier who had served time in a South Korean prison for assault.
2. The event happened abruptly when King started sprinting towards North Korea, leading some tourists, including Sarah Leslie, to initially believe it was a stunt.
3. Leslie and the other tourists were rushed to safety by soldiers patrolling the area once they realized the gravity of the situation.
4. After the incident, the tourists were taken to an information center where they gave statements about what they witnessed.
5. Leslie, having an academic interest in the Koreas, expressed disbelief as to why King would voluntarily head to North Korea.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-us-soldier-travis-king-tourist-witness-92f96befe0b2b8d2e7d016d645d21180