A U.S. man of Arabic descent was captured while trying to swim across the Han River to North Korean lands — a desperate attempt to “meet with supreme leader Kim Jong-un,” he said during his post-arrest interrogation.
The man, in his late 20s to early 30s, wasn’t named in the media reports. But Yonhap news agency reported that he said to his captors: “I was trying to go to North Korea in order to meet with supreme leader Kim Jong-un.”
He had been swimming with the current in a northerly direction, but became tired and stopped on the shore, USA Today reported. That’s where Marines found him and arrested him, the Korea Herald reported.
This isn’t the first time someone has attempted to cross into North Korea on this river, which runs through the Gimpo border area. Just a few months ago, South Korean border guards shot and killed a fellow South Korean, 47, who they thought was trying to reach North Korea, USA Today reported.
Agence France-Presse reported the U.S. Embassy hasn’t yet issued a comment.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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