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.
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Key Points:Â
- 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.
- The event happened abruptly when King started sprinting towards North Korea, leading some tourists, including Sarah Leslie, to initially believe it was a stunt.
- Leslie and the other tourists were rushed to safety by soldiers patrolling the area once they realized the gravity of the situation.
- After the incident, the tourists were taken to an information center where they gave statements about what they witnessed.
- Leslie, having an academic interest in the Koreas, expressed disbelief as to why King would voluntarily head to North Korea.
