The crisis comes amid tensions with North Korea, one of the world's most isolated nations. US citizens are advised not to travel to the country.
A senior US commander has informed that there is no contact with the soldier at this time. Admiral John Aquilino of the US Indo-Pacific Command said he had "no monitoring" of contacts with North Korea.
According to him, the soldier had voluntarily 'escaped' and reached there without permission, and the US Forces Korea, a group of US forces in Korea, is investigating the incident.
Hours after detaining the soldier, North Korea fired two suspected ballistic missiles into the sea nearby.
The South Korean military confirmed that the missiles had been launched. This is how the events have progressed in a situation where tensions are rising on the Korean peninsula.
However, there was no indication whether the launch was related to the detention of soldiers.
With no response from the North, it is not clear whether the man was sent to North Korea or is expected to return.
The Pentagon identified the soldier as Private Second Class Travis King. According to a statement released by a Pentagon spokesperson, PTE King has been in the Army since January 2021.
