SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -An American soldier facing disciplinary action fled across the inter-Korean border into North Korea on Tuesday and was believed to be in North Korean custody, U.S. officials said, creating a fresh crisis for Washington in its dealings with the nuclear-armed state. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed concern for the soldier, who the U.S. military in Korea said 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)."
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66219603.amp
He apparently got in a fight with a Korean civilian and at least was disorderly (if not combative) when arrested. No idea what type of penalty that would get someone at a U.S. court martial, but prison and a dishonorable discharge (making gainful employment extremely difficult) are probably on the table, maybe guaranteed.
No idea what I’d do in that situation, but even knowing he’d be detained for a while in the DPRK it might look better than the alternative.
Of course, there’s a big chance he is trying to infiltrate the country, and this is pretext. He’s 23, not some kid right out of high school, which to me suggests that’s far from out of the question.
The article just says “Korean” which I assume means southerner since it was in Seoul, but I initially got the impression that the civilian was from the DPRK. Just leaving this here in case people have the same confusion.