Overview

• A US Army soldier named Travis King fled across the border into North Korea during a tour of the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas.
• King, who was facing disciplinary action in the US, is believed to be the first active duty US soldier to defect to North Korea since the 1960s.
• The US government is attempting to communicate with North Korea about King's status and secure his return, but Pyongyang has not responded.
• North Korea fired several cruise missiles off its west coast in an apparent protest against the recent docking of a US nuclear submarine in South Korea.
• Tensions have been rising due to North Korea's recent missile tests and threats of nuclear attacks, as well as joint military drills by the US and South Korea.